


Second Chances

by Avacyn_L



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-13
Updated: 2018-05-06
Packaged: 2019-03-04 09:35:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 36,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13361772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avacyn_L/pseuds/Avacyn_L
Summary: He was fire, a devastating fire that destroyed everything in its path. She was well aware of that, she'd been burned so many times in the past. But she didn't mind. She never had.A canon-divergent adventure starting from 2x08, or "What would happen if Alice returned to the Whyte Wyrm after FP's speech"...





	1. A second chance

He had been given a second chance to restart his life. A second damn chance. To quit drinking, to work a legal, normal job, to start anew. And it was gone.

FP drank another sip of low quality whiskey, the best the bar could provide. He was alone at the Whyte Wyrm. Everyone had left hours ago, after Betty's awkward little strip show, and he was just sitting in the dark drinking away his pain. Hog Eye was used to his antics and since it were too dangerous to let him ride the motorcycle he left him the bar to sleep. FP was more than thankful for the Serpents' loyalty to him. They were his friends, his family, he could trust them with his heart. Something that he regretted doing sometimes, though. Three times in his life, to be exact.

One, with Jughead. He really couldn't blame his son though. He was only 16, he was unfamiliar with the ways of the gang. FP let out a bitter laugh, when himself was 16 he made even worse mistakes. Still, he has to remain in the Serpents so that his son would be free of the burden. A burden FP would pay with his life.

Two, with Penny Peabody. Oh that Snake Charmer! Sleeping with her was by far the stupidest thing he's ever done. He was drunk, so much drunk that night. And Penny was there, looking almost exactly like her. The blonde hair, the blue eyes, the fierce attitude. She was very much into him and took the chance immediately. But calling out his lost love's name at the crucial moment was a fatal mistake. Snakes are mean and vindictive when threatened, and he had just crushed her female ego. It didn't take long until she found proof of his crimes and soon he got tangled in a web of promises and debts. His life was never the same after that.

Three, and the one that hurt him the most, with her. Alice Smith. He hated her new name, Cooper, he reminded him of his defeat, of her chosing Hal over him. At that thought he drank the remaining liquid in the bottle, letting it burn his insides. But getting her out of his mind, that was impossible, even if he drank gallons of pure gasoline. Being in the Whyte Wyrm didn't help either, as his head was filled with memories of drunk confessions, passionate escapades and moments with her...

He hated how beautiful she looked today at his party in her Serpent attire, as if she were a teenage Southsider again. He hated how easily he got carried away and almost asked her to leave her husband, as if it were his sole wish waiting for a moment to escape his lips. He hated that he enjoyed their bickerings, that little innocent flirt they both indulged into.

He hated to admit that, after all these years, he was still in love with her.

"Damn her... damn you Alice Cooper...", he muttered, throwing the bottle to the ground which broke with a crush. He closed his lids and her beautiful icy eyes popped into his mind, not letting him sleep in peace. But that was what FP enjoyed most when he drank, the illusion of escaping her while bringing her into his imagination for one more time, one more time when she was his and only his...

"And I actually thought you would change... such a pity, same old FP...", he heard her voice behind him, chains clinging as familiar footsteps approached him, taking him by surprise. FP didn't know if he was hallucinating or dreaming, or if her ironic tone was that of his conscience, but if she were actually real, she was the last person he wanted to see right now. Or so that he tried to convince himself to believe.

Alice casually grabbed a bottle of tequila from the bar and lied lazily to the sofa next to him, crossing her legs, as if she owned the place. FP was still unsure of her presence and examined her every movement in silence. She was still wearing last night's clothes and her eyes were red, probably from crying. Sure, seeing her underage daughter stripping in front of 40-year-old gang members was not the best thing a mother could take. But FP could read her like an open book, and knew why she was so devastated. She started to see herself in Betty and that was the thing that scared her the most.

As she was drinking the hard liquid straight from the bottle, his eyes were not-so-subtly scanning her body with a hungry expression in his glare. Unconsciously, nonetheless, but Alice felt the tension rising dangerously in the room and knew that if he continued undressing her with his eyes like that he would soon do it with his hands as well. And she didn't know if she would bring herself to object.

"Are you going to even say something or you'll just sit there staring at me?", she never missed a chance to hit him, getting him out of his thoughts.

FP snapped out of his daze. "Just admiring you, Princess", he smirked, not one to miss a beat either. She rolled her eyes at the nickname -her nickname back then- but he could see her trying to hide a smile that slowly formed to her dark cherry lips. FP tried to diverge his eyes from them, he was losing control already. He decided teasing her instead, playing on the safe side before he did something they would both regret. "Does little Hal know of your late night adventures or is he waiting for you like a puppy to come home?"

"Shut it, FP", she immediately hissed. He laughed at her reaction, she was still a Snake at heart. "And I don't even care about Hal at this point, I have more important things to think of...", she sipped a little more tequila. "Like my daughter joining the Serpents". She glared at him. 

"Betty is not a Serpent yet. She hasn't completed her initiation", he sounded harsher than he intended to.

"No but she wants to!", she yelled. "I saw it in her eyes, FP, she wants to be here, she wants to be a part of this world and I... I don't want that future for her...", tears started to appear in her eyes. "Watching her do the Serpent dance reminded me of-", she lowered her head.

"I'm not letting her in, Alice, don't worry", he placed his arms on her shoulders firmly. "I will protect her. I know how much this means to you. And as much as I love the Serpents, I don't want Jughead following my steps either. That's why...". She raised her sapphire eyes to meet his. FP almost lost it, she looked so pretty in her disarray, so fragile, a beautiful mess...

What if he just...

All sense of reason escaped him as he closed the gap between them with his lips. He just couldn't resist. He wanted her. He needed her. All of her. To be there for her. And her to be there for him. To lose himself in her and forget everything and everyone. And kissing her reminded him that Alice had always been his true addiction, even more than alcohol, even more than everything in his life. It was then when FP realised that he would never get over her. 

Alice was taken aback at first but quickly surrendered to the pleasurable sensation of the kiss, wrapping her hands around his neck almost instictively. It was like she lost track of time and space. Like nothing else existed but him. She could hear her heart beating loudly, jumping with enthousiasm and longing. She felt 17 again, as if 25 years were but a single moment, the most passionate one she'd ever exprerienced since she left the Serpents, since her marrying Hal. And it was then when she realised that the only man she ever wanted in her life, the only man who could make every cell of her body feel alive was FP. He was fire, a devastating fire that destroyed everything in its path. She was well aware of that, she'd been burned so many times in the past. But she didn't mind. She never had. 

They stopped for a second to breathe. "Forsythe...", she whispered, trying to rationalize what happened, but the moment her lips parted he took the opportunity and kissed her again, more aggressively this time. He didn't want her to talk because he already knew what she would say. He dreaded hearing her saying that she regretted this. He couldn't bear the rejection. Not again. At that thought he deepened the kiss. Their tongues battled for dominance, but at this point it didn't matter who had the upper hand: they had both lost. 

Desire consumed FP and he moved lower to kiss her neck, biting the spot he knew that drove her crazy and earning a loud moan from Alice that sent him off the edge. She felt him smirk against her soft skin. That was what he wanted, after all, to paralyze her, to make her his, only his. To make her think of nothing else but him. And he succeeded. She had totally lost control in his hands that roamed all over her body, his touch, his kisses. Intoxicated by his breath, the taste of whiskey on his lips, the smell of his cologne, his sounds, she was unable to do anything but completely give in to him. All thoughts of guilt in her mind were replaced by lustful images of what they used to do 25 years ago on that very same sofa in that very same bar they were right now. She didn't give a damn about her reputation, about Hal, about her marriage, about his marriage, about...

Betty.

"FP... stop", she pulled herself from his arms. She immediately felt the temperature falling as her companion looked at her in question. "We... we shouldn't do this. Our kids are dating and..."

His face darkened. Reality struck him too. "I know. I know. I'm sorry... I shouldn't have..."

"No!", Alice replied, and a glimse of hope appeared in his brown eyes. "I want this too", her voice softened. "But..."

"It's ok, Alice", he smiled painfully, as he felt his heart sink for the second time in his life. That damn word, that "but"... He was losing her. Again.

"We shouldn't have lost control. I shouldn't have come here...", she grabbed her leather jacket and rushed towards the exit of the bar.

"Then why did you?", Alice heared him yelling at her. She froze at her step, she had a bad feeling about this. FP walked to her. "Why did you come here in the first place, Alice?"

She turned to look at him. He looked angry. Enraged. But she knew better. He was trying with all his might to hold back his tears from slipping from his eyes. And that realisation was breaking her heart as well. All she wanted was to stay with him, in his arms, to kiss him, make love to him. All she wanted was to be with the only man she ever loved so dearly. 

All she wanted was a second chance.

"I can't do this...", she was about to turn away again when he grabbed her by the arm and pushed her roughly against the door, trapping her with his body. Alice was more surprised than afraid. And surely more aroused.

"You have some nerve, Alice!", their faces were so close, their foreheads almost touching. "Coming here only to leave again. Why are you doing this to me? Do you enjoy that? Seeing me destroyed and still pining over you?" She opened her mouth to reply, to state the obvious, that he was drunk and didn't mean the things he was saying but he brought his finger on her lips, shushing her. "Because I am! I never got over you! I never stopped loving you! And I never will! Isn't it what you want to hear?", he whispered against her lips. "I'm just a game to you, aren't I? You get what you want and then you go back to Hal, your oh-so-perfect husband in your oh-so-perfect neighborhood...", he caressed her cheek, wiping the tears that fell from her eyes. "All I wanted was a second chance... to make my life better, to escape this damn hell but here I go again... I've lost everything, I've lost my life, my family, I'm losing my son and I'm losing you again..."

"FP..."

"At least I have the guts to tell you the truth. I don't run away from my feelings. While you, Alice? You're afraid, you always were..."

"I'm not afraid!", she spat.

"Then why don't you tell me the truth?"

"What truth?"

"Why did you come here? Why? Why? Why?", he yelled, bumping his fist on the metal door behind Alice.

"Because I wanted to see you! Because I'm worried about you! Because I'm still in love with you!", she screamed in tears. "Satisfied now?"

He smiled. Alice swore she had never seen him so relieved. "No", he responded.

"No?!", she blinked. "What the hell do you want from me, then?"

"A second chance. For us. I want you to be with me. I ask you to be with me...", he desperately said.

She closed her eyes. "FP that's impossible. I'm married, you're married, our kids are in a relationship..."

"Then leave Hal! Gladys and I are not contacting either. And I'm sure our children will understand. I know you want this, too, so for once in your life do what your heart desires..."

Alice didn't know what to say. FP was the only person who could leave her speechless, who could handle her. He was always able to read her mind. He knew exactly how she felt about him. Damn, he could see how much she wanted to leave everything behind and be with him. It was no use trying to hide from him, for he understood her better than everyone.

And there was also the other thing. Her secret. Her deep dirty secret. Her son. Their son. Somewhere in Riverdale their long lost love child lived unaware of his parentage. FP was ignorant too, she made him believe that her child was Hal's and they never brought that topic up again, he would have probably thought she had an abortion. But the truth was that Chic did exist, and Alice wanted more than anything to meet him, to make amends. Her bond with FP was deep, deeper than he could ever imagine. What if she kept her child and stayed with him back then? Maybe he would have left the Serpents, perhaps he wouldn't have become an alcoholic. Sure, she loved her daughters more than anything and she never regretted marrying Hal in the first place but... what if she chose the love of her life instead? 

What if she had a second chance? What if the time for this was now?

She kissed him again, as if her life depended on it. She wanted to make him understand that this time she wouldn't turn her back on him. That she would stay with him. No matter the odds. "It's you that my heart desires and you know that, Forsythe. And I don't know what will happen but this time I'm staying with you. Whatever it takes", she smiled.

FP's eyes lit with a sparkle that melted her heart. Alice felt butterflies in her stomach, that adolescent sensation was more than forgotten. "Good", he smirked, "because I didn't intend to let you go anyway!"

"And what exactly do you mean by that?", Alice teased.

"You'll see, baby", he picked her bridal style and moved towards the sofa they were initially sitting.

"What the hell are you doing?", she giggled, remembering how crazy he used to be when they were dating, how much she loved him when he surprised her like this. 

FP threw her on the sofa and laid on top of her. "You said something about men who are released from prison... did you really thing you'd get away with this comment?", he whispered in her ear.

"No... maybe that was the purpose...", she purred. "You didn't answer, though, is it true?"

"Shall we find out?", he kissed her again.

Alice sent him a dirty look, "I'll take that as a yes".

And so, for the first time since their high school years, the former King and Queen of the Southside Serpents were reunited and merged into one, more alive than ever. Lost in passion and completely unaware of their surroundings, they never heard the "click" of their stalker's camera. Not that they cared about any consequences, though. Nothing mattered to them anymore. Just that they found each other again, and, most importantly, their own selves. After all, as FP had said, Snakes don't shed their skins that easily...


	2. The morning after

Cling cling

The sound of Hog Eye's keys opening the door at the Whyte Wyrm woke FP up. It must have been 11 a.m., he had probably slept for about 4 hours and yet, despite his hangover, he felt so refreshed, as if he had the most peaceful sleep of his life. As if he didn't have a care in the world.

The reason for this was still asleep in his arms, covered with his Serpent jacket and snoring lightly. FP smiled, he remembered that Alice used to be a heavy sleeper. She looked so beautiful he didn't have the heart to wake her up.

He caressed her messy blonde locks and whispered her name. She opened her eyes and her face lit up meeting her lover's gaze. He leaned down and kissed her softly, reminding her of last night's events.

"Good morning baby... we have to get up, Hog Eye just arrived..."

Alice's smile faded. "Is it 11 already? Oh my God, I must go home, they're probably so worried...". She stood up nervously and looked at her phone. 23 unanswered calls and 12 text messages from Hal and Betty. She even had 6 calls from Polly, they would have alerted her too and in her condition it was the last thing Alice wanted.

"I have to go...", she send an apologetic look at FP who just nodded. He hated this back-to-reality situation but he wouldn't expect her to leave her house overnight. These things take time.

But it still hurt that she had to go. That she always had to go.

"Put something on", his harsh tone made it almost sound like a command as he threw her his jacket. A whistle from Hog Eye confirmed Alice's suspicion that it indeed was. In her panic she hadn't realised she was still in her lacy underware.

"Look away Hog Eye, she's mine", FP threatened. Alice smiled at his possessive nature, she knew how jealous he could be at times but she didn't mind. All that mattered was that he cared about her.

"Relax FP, it's not like I haven't seen your girl like this before, her initiation was one to remember... Too bad you left us, Princess...", he laughed and got lost in the kitchen behind the bar, leaving the couple alone.

Alice's eyes widened as images from last night invaded her mind. Her daughter's strip show in particular. She was rest assured that FP wouldn't let Betty join the Serpents but she had to talk with her. As for FP... she was sure she loved him, but was she ready to leave Hal? Was she ready to reveal everything to her family yet?

She put on her clothes in a hurry and turned to FP, who was staring at her disappointingly, as if he could read her thoughts. She took his lips in a long, passionate kiss. 

A goodbye kiss, perhaps.

"I'm sorry... just give me time to settle things...", she said and left the bar immediately, not giving herself a chance to regret it like the day before. FP sighed, nothing would ever change. They would never change. Last night was an illusion.

He walked to the bar. His need for drink was stronger than ever now. "The usual, Hog Eye. Double".

The barman looked at him in pity. "She will come back".

FP let out a painful laugh. "I highly doubt it...".

"She will come back. Alice belongs here, she'll always do. And she loves you, that's for sure", the elder Serpent casually responded as he handled his leader the glass.

"How do you know that?"

"The eyes, Chico, they never lie... I saw how longingly she stared at you last night and this morning, she still has feelings for you..."

FP finished his drink and nodded for a second one. "I hope so, Hog Eye. I hope so...".  
_________________________________

Alice got into the car and switched on the engine, heading home. She dialed Betty's number on her phone, waiting for her to answer in agony. How stupid she felt now, she was unsure of her daughters wherabouts, did Betty even sleep at home last night? 

"Mom! Where are you? Are you ok? We almost called Sheriff Keller!", Betty's voice filled the car through the speaker.

Alice's face fell from shame, they were all so worried while she...

"I'm fine, Betty, don't worry, I'm driving home... are you alright? Did Jughead bring you home last night?"

The long pause on the other side of the line alerted Alice that something was off. "Jughead and I... broke up... I took a taxi... I'm fine, don't worry about me. Where are you? Where did you sleep? Dad has freaked out! I told him we were at FP's party and he went on a frenzy..."

Shit. She had to think of an excuse. A believable one. "I was quite tipsy and couldn't drive in that condition and I fell asleep in the car...". If Hal only knew... "Where is your dad now?"

"He's downstairs, waiting for you. Mom... please don't tell him about last night...", Alice sighed hearing Betty's pleading tone. Of course she wouldn't tell Hal about last night's show. He would kill them both on the spot.

"I won't. But you have to promise me that you'll never step foot on that bar again. And that you'll cut any ties from the Serpents..."

"Mom..."

"We will have a talk about what happened, Elizabeth. It's very serious. And don't remind me again that I was a Serpent, yes, I was and that's the reason why I want you out of this", what a hypocrite she was, so judgemental of her daughter when she joined the Serpents back then for her own boyfriend...

"I won't return there Mom... I don't have a reason anymore...". Only then Alice realised that Betty and Jughead were not together anymore. If he hurt her in any way...

"What did he do to you?", Mama Coop mode was activated. Despite her feelings for FP, she would kill anyone who dared hurt her children, Jughead included.

"He... he says he wants me away from him, from his lifestyle... he says he does it to protect me... I love him Mom, I don't care that he's a Serpent, I would do anything for him and he just...", Betty's sobs broke Alice's heart.

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, she thought bitterly. She and FP had broken up for that very same reason, after her arrest. Same old story. 

"It's ok, honey... everything will be alright... I bet that he loves you too... just give him time...". Alice tried to pep her even though she knew from experience that it wouldn't make any difference. "I'll see you at home..."

"Actually, I'm going at Pop's to meet Veronica so... I'll probably see you later... good luck with dad..."

Alice sighed. "Thanks love... bye!". She would need more than luck to get away with it. True, in her marriage she never faced these problems of insecurity, as she had been the faithful, perfect model of wife and Hal was never the jealous kind, always calm and collected and a man of reason, trusting and understanding.

Except when it came to FP.

He was more than aware that Forsythe Jones the II was Alice's first love and not him. They got into many fights at their Senior year at Riverdale High, when she and Hal got together after her leaving the Serpents. They've been rivals since then. Rivals for her love, for the football team leadership, for popularity. The last from Hal's perspective, FP couldn't care less about the social hierarchy, although his "bad boy" attitude and his involvement with a gang made him irresistible to his fellow classmates, especially the female ones. The infamous war between the Bulldogs and the Serpents started back then, from their respective leaders' hatred. A war for her eyes.

Hal had always been infatuated with the Southside wild girl. Alice was different. Reckless. Free spirited. She never was a Valley girl like Hermione and Mary and, for the love of God, never a follower of the self-proclaimed "Queen Bee" of Riverdale High, Penelope. Hated by the girls and loved by the boys, she was popular in her own way. But, like her Serpent lover, she didn't care. About anything and anyone. So when she finally gave into Hal's requests to take her on a date, he was determined to keep her at any cost. Alice was so desperate to escape her life at the wrong side of the tracks that agreed to almost anything Hal imposed on her. She changed her appearance, from "slutty" as he would say to preppy and classy, she changed her lifestyle, her personality even according to what was "right". She became a whole different person and that was the biggest sacrifice she's ever done for someone. Someone whom didn't even love back then. Sure, that someone provided for her a dreamy, comfortable life and a high-prestige job, his family paid for her college fees and he gave her two beautiful daughters. She grew to love him, later, but as a person only. And at the end of the day there was this one question popping into her confused mind every single day...

Was it worth it?

Lost in her thoughts, Alice hadn't realised she had arrived home. She parked the car in the garage and was about to open the door when a small detail crossed her mind.

She looked herself at the small mirror above her seat. God, was she a mess! Her hair was tangled, spraying all around her head, her make up all smugged on her face and was that a hickey on her neck?

And she was sure there would be more like this on her body.

Damn! Damn! Damn!

How was she supposed to meet Hal like this? In twenty years of marriage she never had to do the walk of shame home, in that "slutty" attire and with marks of her obvious adultery on her skin for the world to see. She had to do something, think of something...

A temporary solution was on the backseats in the form of a forgotten black scarf, probably Polly's. Alice grabbed the piece of fabric and wore it neatly around her neck. As for the rest of the bruises a compact powder would do, but for now...

She reluctantly left her car and opened the main door, stepping quietly inside the house. The silence was deafening. The once fearless Alice Cooper was now terrified. But she wouldn't let it show. She never let it show.

"Hal?"

No answer. He was probably waiting for her in the kitchen. She sighed and entered the room where every crucial conversation in the family ever took place. Hal was standing with his back on the door, staring out of the window. The tension in the room was already suffocating and the thought of just ignoring him and going upstairs to take a shower and, most importantly, change her clothes so he wouldn't see her like this was so tempting. But that wouldn't change the mere fact that, for the first time since their marriage Alice spent the night elsewhere.

She was about to actually leave the room when Hal turned around, acknowledging her presence. He glared at her from head to toe with a disguised look on his face and Alice swore she had never felt so humiliated in her life, not even when she did the Serpent dance. 

Hal then glanced at the clock hanging on the wall above the fridge. 11:45. "What the hell, Alice?"

"Hal...", she didn't sound as confident as she wanted to. Her guilt was noticable in her apologetic tone.

"WHAT. THE. HELL! You're going to your ex's Serpent party behind my back, dressed up like a whore, dragging OUR DAUGHTER into that den of criminals and, to top it all, spend the night God knows where! And with WHOM!".

He was right, and had every right to react like this. Hell, if Hal dared do that to her she'd throw him out of the house immediately! But Hal was not her. She always had her way with him. But this time? She didn't know.

"It was Betty and Jughead who organized FP's party. I only went there to chaperone her". Still, half true.

Hal laughed. "Chaperone? Some responsible mother you are, going to a fucking bar of bikers and leaving our daughter there alone with those thugs in the middle of the night! Well done!". If only he knew how out of control things went with Betty... "Come on, Alice, do you expect me to buy that story you sold Betty? That you allegedly spent the night in the car and that you only went to that Snake lair to supervise her? That it had nothing to do with FP Jones being there? That's why you dressed up like this? For your lover?"

"We didn't even speak at the party! Ask Betty if you don't believe me!", Alice yelled defendingly. Again, half true.

"Where did you go after the party?", his tone was menacing now.

"I was a little drunk and couldn't drive in that condition. I dosed off in the car. Is it that hard to believe?", she whined.

Hal ignored her question. "Was FP with you?"

"I told you, Hal, I was..."

"Answer the fucking question!", he slammed his fist on the kitchen table.

"NO! I was alone, I swear..."

"Why didn't you answer your phone?", he was giving her the third degree and she had to be careful. One mistake and...

"I didn't hear it. I didn't even remember falling asleep, I had this headache which is only getting worse now!", she spat.

Hal's face was red from rage. "Are you blaming me? You were the one who didn't sleep here last night!"

"Oh, did you want me to drive home drunk, Hal? Get into an accident, perhaps?", she coyly replied.

"Why didn't you call me to pick you up? Or take a taxi like Betty?" And just like that her 'argument' was gone.

She sighed. "You wouldn't understand...". Defence line number two, guilt.

"Oh really", he scoffed, "because I understand now... Tell me, Alice, was he good?". He knew. Somehow he knew.

"I don't know what you're talking ab-"

"FP", he screamed. "Was he good? Did he fuck you well?"

"Shut up, Hal! How dare you talk to me like this? I didn't cheat on you!", she yelled, tears starting forming at the corner of her eyes.

He eyed her scarf. "Take that off, Alice".

"Hal..."

"Take. The. Scarf. Off!". He moved towards her and, for the first time in her life Alice feared he would use violence. His eyes betrayed that he was on the verge of doing it. She closed her eyes, anticipating the worst...

But did he have the power to take it off? Did he really want to confirm his suspicions?

The sound of the door slamming relieved her as Hal retreated. Betty stormed into the kitchen. "Mom? Dad? What's going on here? I could hear you from outside!" She saw her mother panting uncontrollably. "What did you do to her?", she questioned Hal. 

He sighed. "I didn't do anything. Someone else did, apparently". He would spare the details, he didn't have to hurt his daughter with the news that he assumed her mother was screwing her boyfriend's father. Until he was 100 percent sure, at least.

Alice couldn't contain her tears and run upstairs to the safety of her room. As she left, she heard Hal's voice "We're not done yet, Alice!". No, they weren't. He wouldn't let it pass. She closed the bedroom door behind her and cried her heart out. Damn her impulsive nature. Damn her desire for FP that clouded her reason. Damn her stupidity, for not considering the consequences of her actions guided by passion...

She had to admit though, last night was magical, crazy, wild. FP could make her body react in a way Hal was never able to do so. Being with him again was a fantasy she had so many times during her marriage. And to say that she regretted sleeping with him would be a lie.

But now that she came back to reality, all Alice could think of was that inevitable question.

'Was it worth it?'

The answer lied in her smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's another one! Disclaimer: I don't like Hal. In the series he is portrayed to be manipulative and even Alice had admitted that. But in the particular scene he is right, and since we haven't seen much of him capturing him was a challenge. 
> 
> I also want to thank everyone who reviewed and left kudos on the story! I'm more than glad to see that my first fic is liked and your kind words inspire me to do better and continue! 
> 
> Enjoy! :)
> 
> A. L.
> 
> (P.S. Can somebody tell me how can I remove the first note from Chapter 2? It shows both notes and since I'm kind of a newbie here I would appreciate the help! ^_^ )


	3. Worn out places, worn out faces

Tiring shifts at Pop's in the morning, drug deliveries at night. That was his life now. A constant journey between Riverdale and Greendale, a neverending cat-and-mouse game with the police... 

FP sighed. Not at all what he imagined when he got out of jail. He had so many dreams, putting his life together, for him, for Jughead, maybe Jellybean even. All these plans went to flames since his son lied on the bed with the Snake Charmer. His safety and his son's well being were depended on his loyalty to her. Miserable, so miserable outcome...

At least he had Alice in his life now. They weren't together, no, she hadn't leave Hal yet but she would find some minutes in the day to escape the Register and meet him secretly behind Pop's. With cautiousness, though, her husband was wary of her and had her on a leash ever since that night. Their night. A smile appeared in his face at the thought. The night they confessed their feelings and gave in to each other after all these years. She loved him and that sole truth was enough for him to endure everything, even their short-lived escapades, even being Penny Peabody's slave...

Speaking of her, it was suspicious that she wasn't present for today's arrangement. Too suspicious. If only he could feel relief, though, the Snake Charmer wasn't one to be easily caught... but something was off.

FP entered into his trailer. Lost in his thoughts, he was taken aback by his son's welcoming. He looked around the room, it was tidy, with Chistmas decorations neatly hanging from the furniture and the familiar smell of take-away dinner tandalizing his nostrils. He didn't remember finding his house so warm and inviting ever since Gladys left him 4 years ago...

"Hey, Dad", Jughead greeted him in enthousiasm.

FP was still astonished. "What's all this?"

His son smirked. "This is a celebratory dinner. Penny didn't show up for your pick up, did she?"

"No. No, she didn't. Why?", his theories about something being wrong returned to his mind. "Do you know something about that?". He hoped he didn't.

"She's gone, Dad!", Jughead proudly announced. "I rallied the younger Serpents, we drove her out of Riverdale. And I got my pound of flesh in the process..." What the hell was that supposed to mean?

FP flipped. "Are you nuts? She will be back, you better believe that". Oh, she would, indeed, if his son thought that he was done with Penny, he was in for a hard awakening.

"She won't! I was very persuasive". How? FP really wanted to believe him but he knew better than to trust his words. "And even if she does, we will take care of it! You and me, and the other Serpents! In unity there is strength!"

Reciting the Serpent laws? Man, that kid was way over his head. "Oh, God..."

"That's the sixth law. While you were in jail, I recited that every day, I lived by that. You want to take my jacket? You want to relegate me to Toys for Tots, fine. But I am still a Serpent, Dad, and this, this life that you wanted to protect me from, I'm proud of this. I'm proud of who I am. You can't take that away from me..."

FP shrugged. "I hope you won't end up repeating my mistakes, son. I've done many... remorseful things in my life. You don't know it yet, but those Serpent laws you so proudly boast are going to be your doom one day, boy. And I really wish that by then you'll have changed your mind and followed a different road in your life...", he wasn't sure if he was talking to his son now or a younger version of himself, but he needed to hear that speech too, so that he wouldn't return to that lifestyle.

"I won't, dad. I'll be careful. You'll see, the Southside will regain its former glory. I need your blessing and guidance, though. I can't do this alone..."

His father smiled. At least Jughead's heart was in the right place. It was weird to see an aspiring gang leader with good intentions. He would fight many battles, for sure, and he'll be tempted into corruption. But FP would be there for him.

"Anytime, boy. Whatever troubles you, we face together".

Jughead hugged him. The gesture was unexpected but so welcomed from his part. He needed that connection with his son. He loved him, and God forbid if anyone ever hurt his flesh and blood. 

"Thank you, dad... thank you so much for supporting me...", he turned to face him, "and I have a surprise for you!"

Another one? "What surprise?"

"You'll find out soon", Jughead winked. 

Anything that didn't involve Penny Peabody would be ok, FP remarked.

_________________________________

Knock knock

Alice stepped into her daughters room before getting a reply. Betty had already fallen into bed but was still awake. She welcomed her mother with a warm smile as she sat on the corner of her bed, her hands nervously fiddling with her blue satin robe's belt.

"We... we haven't really talked about what happened recently...", the elder Cooper began.

"Of what, exactly?", Betty folded her arms.

Alice paused. Distinct issues were to be addressed here and she didn't know whether she had the courage to endure another round of questions. She was glad that her daughter hadn't pestered her on the matter yet, but she was surely not pleased with the current situation at home, that being a constant war of passive-agressive jabs between her and Hal. 

"Of everything", she concluded. "Your... dance, for starters".

"Mom...", her tone was defending now.

"I don't blame you, Elizabeth". Betty flinced at the use of her full name, she knew by now that when her mother called her 'Elizabeth', she was angry or disappointed at her. She figured it was the case of the latter now. "Been there, done that. But I'm worried. I'm worried about my child entering a criminal world, unaware of the traps and the dangers of it...", she unconsciously yelled but lowered her voice when she heard Betty sighing. Pushing her away again wouldn't do any good. "I understand that you love Jughead and that you want to protect him... but you should always take care of yourself first. He's dragging you to a hazardous path and, you may not get it now, but the sacrifices you'll need to make for being in this gang, the lies you're going to say, the secrets you're going to hide... it's not worth it, honey...". Betty realised that her mother's advice was the most sincere thing she has ever told to her. 

The conversation was making her unconfortable, though, due to her current break up with Jughead. Betty decided to shift the topic to her mother, whose past was dying to know ever since she discovered her secret Serpent identity.

"Mom... why did you join the Serpents? Did you do the dance? Do you have a tattoo?", she eagerly asked, the latter question really irking her.

Alice laughed at her daughters antics. She opened her robe and slightly shifted her night dress, revealing a small S shaped snake on the left side of her waist. "I always cover it, your father doesn't like seeing it very much...", she softly said, as Betty examined the tattoo with awe.

"That's a pity. It's so beautiful..."

"I know but... like all things, it has its history... As for the initiation, yes, I had to do the Serpent dance too, not the best experience in my life...", she sighed, "I really hoped that things had changed for the female members of the gang since I left but..."

"Misogyny dies hard", Betty replied, remembering Toni's angered statement.

"Exactly", Alice nodded. 

They both stayed in silence for a minute. "So why did you join them, Mom?" 

Trying to avoid the question was proven unsuccessful, as Betty, inhireting the journalist skills of both of her parents, wasn't going to stop until she got the answer she wanted. "For the same reason you almost did, Elizabeth", Alice finally replied.

This was not what Betty expected at all. She raised an eyebrow "What do you mean?".

"When I was at your age... younger than you... I was very much in love with that Southside boy...", Alice's heart jumped at the thought of FP. "He was my first boyfriend, you know, your typical "good girl falling for the bad boy" story. Your grandparents didn't want him and so I would sneak out of the window at night to meet him behind his trailer...", she half-smiled, lost in nostalgia. Betty was all ears, her mind trying to picture her "perfect" mother struggling to jump off the window to meet a guy. "He was messed up, though. So messed up. And when he joined the Serpents I grew so worried about him... He was put into doing all kinds of dirty jobs from the very beginning and I decided to join the Serpents to keep an eye on him... We had a huge fight, but I still cared about him and I continued helping him in secret, taking in some of his drug deliveries... At some point I got arrested and he broke up with me, 'to protect me', he said... 'from him'..." Betty's face fell, that was what Jughead said, too. The similarities were too many. And she thought her mother would never understand her...

"What happened next?", she desperately asked, even though she knew they didn't live happily ever after.

"Then, my parents found out about me being a Serpent and send me to live with my strict uncles to the Northside... And at the Senior year of High School, your dad asked me out on a date for the first time... and the rest is history", she responded, forcing a smile. 

Betty was still dumbfounded. "Wow... I never had it in you, you know... Is this the reason why Dad was so mad that you came to the Whyte Wyrm for FP's party? Was he afraid that you'd meet your ex-boyfriend there?"

Alice bit her lip. "It wasn't the only reason but yes, that played a role too".

"Well, did you meet him?", Betty pressed.

Now she had to lie. Again. "No, I didn't. I haven't seen him since I left the Southside... Anyway...", she paused, changing the subject, "now that you know my story you probably understand why I was wary of you being with Jughead. He is a good kid and he loves you but the danger that comes with him... I don't want you to experience what I did and seeing you up there dancing...", Alice couldn't contain her tears anymore. 

"Mom...", she hugged her, "I won't join the Serpents, don't worry..."

Alice smiled at her daughter, holding her hand. "I've made so many mistakes, Betty. So many things I regret...", she suddenly thought of her son. Her only son. What would have happened if she stayed with FP back then and told him about their child? Would they be a family?

She didn't know. But dwelling in the past wasn't any use. All that mattered was the future now.

Betty instantly realised to whom her mother was referring. "Are you talking about...", she tightened the grip on her hand.

"Yes", Alice replied determinedly. "I want to see him, Betty. I want to see my son".

And just like that, Nancy Drew had a new mystery to solve.  
__________________________________

Alice entered her bedroom silently, thinking her husband was asleep. Despite their huge fight and the awkward tension between them, they still slept together. Whether Hal didn't find refuge to the couch to make amends with her or to make sure she slept at home at nights, she didn't know.

But she felt nothing. As if he weren't there.

Hal was lying on the bed checking his phone, turning it off the moment he saw his wife, sending her a small smile. Alice slipped under the duvet without a word and reached towards the lamb to turn the light off when Hal stopped her movement softly. She turned to him impassively, her infamous icy glare indicating she was not in the mood for anything that didn't involve sleeping.

"Please", he whispered, "can we just talk for a minute? We don't even say goodnight to each other now..."

She sighed and reluctanly turned to her side, facing Hal. "Alright. What do you want us to talk about?"

He was about to say something, then hesitated and remained silent. Alice just nodded her head in disappointment. "Just say it, Hal. Nothing surprises me anymore".

He raised an eyebrow. "Alice... how did we end up like this? We're like two strangers living under the same roof. And I'm not the only one who believes that, am I now?"

"No...", she admitted, "I believe it too".

He looked at her, his eyes filled with sadness. "And aren't we going to do something about it? Something to save our marriage? Are we going to just let it sink? Solving our problems kicking one another out of the house and throwing bricks on windows?"

"I don't know, Hal!", she spat. "Is there anything left to save?"

"Well I'm not willing to give up on you yet, Alice!", he stared at her, his eyes piercing her. "I love you. I need you. I can't even imagine losing you... or you being with another man...". Alice felt her blood freezing, it was obvious to whom Hal was referring.

And his confession? It was so unexpected. But she knew better. It wasn't love what he felt. His ego was bruised and, even if he didn't have proof of her adultery, FP's presense after the latter's release from jail threatened him.

"Hal...", she started, unsure of what to say. 

He moved closer to her and shushed her. "You don't have to say anything about it. The only thing I want to know is whether you're going to give our marriage a second chance or not". 

She stared deeply in his eyes, trying to find something, anything that might change her mind.

Nothing.

Alice looked away. "I'm sorry... I... I don't know..."

"Do you love me, Alice?", he asked desperately.

Her eyes didn't meet his. "Yes… but... the spark is long gone. The passion is long gone. You just don't... I'm sorry, I really am...". There were too many things she was apologizing for. For betraying him. For cheating on him. For lying to him. For not giving him a chance.

She got up to leave the bed. Hal sighed for a moment before speaking. "Ever since Betty and Jughead got together you are not your usual self...". Alice stopped at her feet but let him continue. "And the second your past identity is revealed you embrace it, showing up at the Gala dressed like a Cobra Queen or something and going to that Serpent bar where your ex is... Old feelings have resurfaced, haven't they?"

He was right. He was so right. And that made it even more difficult.

"I just miss my old self. The carefree me, the confident me. The me who doesn't give a damn about what others say...", she confessed.

Hal scoffed. "Yeah, the you who showed up drunk in school and got arrested for drug trafficking, the you who vandalized the North Side along with your Snake friends, the you who stripped at a bar full of gang members, that 'you' you mean?"

"At least that was my true self!", she yelled, unable to stay silent anymore. "At least I could be myself around them!". Around FP, mainly. "You couldn't handle me back then so you changed me into something that I am not!"

"Showing a little gratitude to the man who dragged you out of that hell wouldn't hurt, you know...", he hissed.

Alice snapped. "Excuse me!? You mean the same man who made me give away my son!?"

"As if I would raise your Serpent bastard!", he screamed.

She slapped him hard on the cheek. "How dare you! I gave up everything to be with you and I was always thankful for what you offered me. But at what price? You always using my past as an excuse to manipulate me? You never accepting my roots and making me forget them, never mention them as if they were something to be ashamed of? And don't you ever speak of my son that way again or I swear to God..."

"It was your decision, Alice. You knew that you didn't have a future with him and that he wouldn't have been able to provide for you and your child. Blame me if that makes you feel better but it was your decision to make".

She dug her nails in her palms, trying to remain calm and not burst into tears or attack him. "Well, it's never too late to make up for this".

"What do you mean?", he asked.

"I'm going to find him".

"Over my dead body!", Hal yelled. 

Alice glared at him. "If that's what it takes then I'm willing to kill you, Hal. But I will find him". She stood up and put a cardigan over her satin night dress.

"Where the hell are you going?", he questioned.

"Out. I need some air. Oh and you don't have to stay awake again, I will return home", she shut the door behind her.

Her feet moved on their own free will now, walking towards the destination guided by her heart. Alice had completely spaced out, both conversations had overwhelmed her and her feelings were so complicated that even she was unsure of what was happening to her. The only thing that she was certain of was that she had to make some decisions. Living like this was draining her, emotionally, mentally, physically. She hated having to lie to her husband, she hated being involved with Betty’s amore’s father in ways she shouldn’t and, most importantly, hated that internal battle that dreaded to consume her.

The battle between her two selves. Her eternal dilemma.

But she had to choose a side.

She didn’t realise that she had already arrived at Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe, fully aware that her paramour was ending his shift any time soon. The diner was empty, it was almost Midnight after all on a week day. Hearing the door bell, FP rose to cater to the customer and smiled in delight when he saw Alice, even though her just-got-out-of-bed appearance was somewhat off, regarding the perfectionist persona she was.

“Alice... what are you-“, she silenced him with a steamy kiss. Their hot tongues dueled for a monent until she retreated, catching her breath, resting her hands on his chest. He checked their surroundings, how could she be so reckless? “Baby…”, he whispered.

“I’m divorcing him, FP. I can’t do this anymore…”

FP blinked, sure it was exactly what he wanted to hear but Alice’s declaration seemed too rushed. “Hold on, honey, these are the most wonderful news you could give me but did something happen? I mean, you said you needed time…”

“You happened”, she moved her body closer to his, staring dreamingly in his dark brown eyes. “Ever since we reconciled I can’t stop thinking of you, wanting you, needing you… I can’t lie anymore, I can’t hide anymore…”

He gave her a warm smile. “Alice…”

“I love you”, she breathed. FP caught her lips again, transfering her all the relief and happiness these three words that came out of her mouth again after so many years gave him. 

“I love you too. I always did and I always will”, he replied softly.

She caressed his cheek for a second, as if he were fragile, and left the diner in a hurry.  
__________________________________

The endless knocking on the door of FP's trailer woke him up abruptly. He looked at the digital alarm clock on his nightstand. 08:35. Damn, he had just a morning to sleep a little bit more since his shift was in the afternoon and...

"Jughead?", he yelled. No answer, he figured his son had already left for school. "Damn it...", he got up, put on a shirt and his slippers and walked to the door.

The unknown visitor banged it again, annoying the elder Jones. "Who the hell...", he opened the door only to freeze at his footsteps, his jaw dropping as the sight before him was unbelievable to conceive: a brunette tall woman and her minion girl with bags on their backs and hands. The latter threw everything away as she rushed to hug her father, while her mother smirked at him.

"Long time no see, Forsythe..."

That was one hell of a surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was initially too small and then I got carried away... Besides Falice, I wanted to explore the dynamics between Alice and Hal too so here it is!
> 
> I also wanted a mother and daughter conversation between Alice and Betty after her dance. It is something that missed from the series and needed to happen.
> 
> Thank you again for the reviews and kudos! I'm so glad you like it! :)
> 
> A. L.


	4. Open wounds

"Gladys?", FP turned to his wife who greeted him with a smile. "How did you...?"

"Jughead called us... he told us all about your 'reformation' so I figured that maybe that's the right time to... try again. Become a family again", she softly replied.

FP didn't know what to say. Ever since she left him 4 years ago he was torn between hating her for taking his daughter away from him and missing the times his family was united...

4 years ago... when Fred Andrews fired him. He was at his lowest point ever. He had no job, no money, a lot of hospital bills on his back and an unbearable relationship with Gladys. Their fights were a regular thing and his in and out of jail status deterionated their marriage even more. FP then turned to the two things he always found a refuge to during his hard times to cope with his pain: the alcohol and the Serpents, things that he quit back when he got married. Eventually, Gladys couldn't take it anymore and left him and Jughead, who was then an angry boy in his early teens, to live with her parents in Toledo.

He had never forgiven her for not supporting him. For abandoning him. For taking away their daughter away from him. For leaving behind their son, as if he was doomed already in his 12.

Sure, FP wasn't the best husband. Not the best parent either. But he tried to. He always tried. Everything he did, mendling with the Serpents again, the drug trafficings, the dirty jobs, all was to sustain his family. To provide for them, even if he had to pay the prize of his freedom at times. But Gladys wouldn't see it that way. She chose the easy path and left, when she could have stayed to face their troubles together.

FP chose not to reply to his wife, he turned to his daughter instead who was still hanging from him. "Jellybean! You grew up, girl, you grew up so tall...", he said proudly.  
He nodded for them to come inside his trailer. Gladys left her bags and suitcases on the floot and went to the small kitchen. "While you two catch up I'll make breakfast for everyone... Jughead's at school right?"

FP nodded. He didn't feel like talking to her yet. Their brief conversation felt too biased and awkward already and she hadn't even been there for five minutes. "So Jellybean", he sat on the sofa and notioned to his daughter to join him, "how is your life? In what class are you in? Do you have any hobbies? Friends? Tell me everything!", he eagerly asked her.

"It's JB now, dad!", she smiled. "And everything is fine, I'm in the 5th grade, my favorite subject is Literature, I recently discovered that I love playing the guitar and my friends Cecilia, Anne and I have a band: the Queens of Hell", she replied in enthousiasm.

Queens of Hell? Emo ran in the family, he thought. "You're in a band?", FP smiled at how his daughter took after his love for music. "You know, I was in a band too when I was a teen... but it didn't have such a cool name...", he remembered the cringy name of his band he and Fred decided on a drunk night, 'the Fred Head', "and what kind of music do you play?"

"Rock... mainly covers, but I write some songs too...", that writing talent, Glady's trait. 

FP couldn't contain his glee for seeing his child again after all these years. She had grown up, indeed, and was not how he remembered her to be at all. In appearance, to say the least. The 6-year-old blubby kid obsessed with the Disney Princesses and the color pink had turned into a black dressed gloomy pre-teen. He wondered if her style reflected her inner world, her feelings.

So many questions arised in his head: how did Gladys raise her up? What had she said to her about her father? Does JB know about his criminal activities? His jail time? 

"What about you, dad? Are you still a Southside Serpent?", the disdain in JB's voice was there. Of course Gladys had told her the truth. He couldn't blame her, JB had every right to know, but she had to hear his side of things as well.

"No, I'm not", FP replied in relief. "I found a job at the local diner and I'm on my way of quitting alcohol...". Well, almost.

"Yeah, Jughead mentioned something about you joining the AA when in jail...", Gladys entered the living room with sandwiches and fresh coffee. FP tried not to roll his eyes at her, so casually bringing up that topic during his reunion with his daughter. She was trying to gain the upper hand, but FP knew better than to respond to her antics. 

'Be patient, FP, for your kids' sake', he had to remind himself.

"I did some thinking back then. I want to correct my mistakes...", he looked into JB's eyes, "and become a better parent. A better person. For you and Jughead", he stated.

"And Mom...", JB added after a moment. 

He paused, staring at his wife, who just raised an eyebrow, waiting for his response. "And Mom", he finally agreed.

Both Gladys and FP knew that the latter was a lie.  
___________________________________

His shift today was not at all challenging. Apart from some school kids ordering their regular milkshakes and some take-away's there wasn't much traffic. FP was relieved, it was exactly what he needed after that morning's events. He was more than glad that he met his younger child again and spend some time learning more about her but he couldn't say the same for his wife. Gladys belonged to his past. And it wasn't just his love for another woman that urged him to cheat on her. It was also the fact that, despite not being divorced yet, their marriage was doomed.

But their children couldn't see it. JB apparently grew up with the illusion that even if their parents were seperated, it was a temporary situation and deep down they loved each other. Jughead, on the other hand, was well aware of the truth, but believed that the best for the family and especially FP was that they sticked together. He hoped that with Gladys and Jellybean in his life, his father would be able to cope with his alcohol addiction and move on from his criminal lifestyle. FP figured that was the reason he asked his mother and sister to come back to Riverdale, to keep him on track. He almost laughed at the irony, now the roles were reversed and he prayed that with his mother and sister's arrival, Jughead would leave the Serpents too.

This meant that they would finally be the "perfect" family they used to be in the beginning. Perfect for the kids only. Because he didn't love Gladys. And he could sense that she didn't love him either.

The bell at the Pop's door ringed and FP saw his family storm in the diner, laughing loudly. They waved at him and sat at one of the booths nearby. He swore he'd never seen Jughead being so genuinely happy before, not even when he was with Betty.

Perhaps, for the sake of his children's happiness he had to try giving a second chance to Gladys. Do the right thing. What a parent should.

Even if that meant sacrificing his own chance at love. Even if that would break both his and Alice's hearts.

FP walked to them to take their order. After Gladys' remark on how handsome he looked in that uniform, he realized she was willing to try too. It would be awkward and difficult at first, but maybe, maybe they would manage to love each other again. He smiled seeing Jughead and Jellybean together, playing some game on the elder sibling's phone, their faces lit up with glee. 

Maybe that was how his life was supposed to be after all.

He walked around the bar again and gave the order to the stuff in the kitchen. Suddenly the diner's door opened only to confirm how hard the task of returning to his former family life would be as he met his mistress's worried sapphire eyes.

"FP...", she rushed to him, "I was calling you all day, but you didn't answer...", she whispered as she arrived to the bar. "I was so worried, is everything ok?"

How would he tell her that his wife was back? Especially after Alice's plans of leaving her own husband? Sure, she hadn't act upon them yet but sooner or later she would talk to Hal.

"Alice...", he began explaining himself but Gladys had already stood up and marched towards them.

"Well, well, well... Alice Cooper. The Northside suits you well, doesn't it?", she mocked, purposely stepping in to interrupt them.

Alice froze when she heard Glady's icy voice. That explained FP's mortified expression and his ignoring of her calls and messages. She turned to him with a hurt expression in her face; his apologetic look answered her suspicions that what was happening there was exactly what she was afraid of.

The man she loved went back to his wife.

She closed her eyes for a second, swallowing a sigh, and finally smirked, crossing her arms, digging her nails in her palms in the process to prevent herself from crying. "Oh my! Gladys Jones back from the dead, remembering her roots...", the acid queen replied coyly.

"Unlike you, honey, I'm still a Southsider at heart", Gladys' tone was far from kind. How dare she judge her decision to leave their hometown? As if she didn't move to another state herself!

Alice wasn't one to back off, though. "At heart only, I suppose, as far as I know Toledo isn't a part of Riverdale, or is it now?"

Gladys scoffed. "Home is where the heart is, Alice. Mine lies with my husband and kids", the subliminal message was clear even for those who didn't know the history Alice and FP shared, such as Jughead, who was just staring at the three of them astonished. Apparently there was a lot of bad blood between his mother and Mrs. Cooper.

But then again, was there a single adult in Riverdale that Alice actually got along with, her husband included? Jughead didn't put that much thought to it and continued enjoying the burger Pop had just served him, the diner's 'owner' seeing how occupied FP was dealing with the women in his life. 

Alice decided against provoking her rival, even though she had something to say about where her husband's heart lied... or at least with whom he lied... "Sure, Gladys... Now if you'll excuse me, I have an order to make and rush back to the Register, where MY heart lies", a direct message to FP, who glared at her mentioning Hal, as if it weren't just yesterday when she confessed her love for him.

Gladys took that as a win and grinned arrogantly. "Be my guest, the town needs more false news to be spread...". 

Oh, she was taking it too far. "Gladys...", FP figured it was the right time to interfere and walked round the bar but Alice had her own snide reply ready.

"Actually, the best method of hoodwinking people is to tell the plain, unvarnished truth. Oddly enough, no one believes it...[1] ", she walked passed them not even bothering to wait for her reaction and went up to the kind black man for her coffee, "My regular, Pop".

Gladys' eyes widened. Did she just imply that she was a fool? She was about to answer but FP moved her to the side, away from Alice and their kids.

"Hold it, Gladys. What on earth was that?", he whispered.

"FP if she dares undermine me again I swear to God...", her Southside brawn never left her.

"You were the one who started it. Now please don't make a scene. Not in front of Jughead. He doesn't know about my past with Alice and he's kind of dating her daughter, I don't want to make things awkward for him..."

Gladys paused for a moment to examine his words. "Fine", she sighed. "But I don't want her around you".

FP rolled his eyes. "There's nothing going on between us".

She smirked defiantly. "Alright then. Let's make sure you tell me the truth".

He opened his mouth to protest but she attacked his lips immediately. She grabbed his shirt and pulled him closer to her while FP, still unsure with what was going on, remained passive. Rejecting her in front of their kids would devastate them and both of them knew that. So he didn't pull back, his heart aching for the blonde woman who had to witness his wife's jealous means. 

Alice was paying for her latte when the scene took place a few meters nearby. Her manicured nails in her palms dug even deeper when FP kissed Gladys back, leaving red half-moon wounds on them. She felt her eyes wet already and her stomach becoming a knot and knew that if she stayed for a second longer there she wouldn't be able to hold back her tears. Taking a glimpse at Jughead and his sister, who were cheering at their parents reconciliation, she put on a fake smile and grabbed her coffee in a rapid, leaving the diner not even bothering taking her change. 

Only after hearing the entrance's bells, Gladys finally pulled back and smiled at her husband innocently. FP grabbed her by her arms and leaned towards her.

"What the hell are you doing?", he whispered angrily in her ear.

She pouted. "What's wrong with showing my husband a little affection? I bet that after all these years you would have missed it...", she purred seductively, raising her knee subtly between his legs.

He stepped backwards as if he was electrocuted. "Cut the bullshit, Gladys. I know why you did it".

"Well, unless for some reason you didn't want your ex seeing us like this, which for your own good I hope this isn't the case, I don't really see what's the problem, my dear. I mean, you do want us to be a family again, don't you?"

He tried to contain himself. She always knew when to push him, fully aware of his soft spots. "Of course I do. But only for our children. I don't trust you, Gladys. Not after everything you did".

"I don't trust you either. Not after everything YOU did", she repeated ironically.

"Why did you come back then? Why are you here?", he questioned.

"I already told you. Jughead asked me to come and make sure you wouldn't slip again. JB was nagging me all the time so I guess I didn't have a choice but to give you a second chance. I'm willing to forget about the past and start anew, FP. The question is, are you?"

He sighed. Every fiber of his being begged him to run out of the diner, find Alice and apologize for hurting her. For he knew that heartbroken look she sent him when she saw Gladys. It was the same feel he had 25 years ago, when she told him she loved Hal and cut any ties from him. And having to endure seeing him kiss another woman? She must have hated him now. And he couldn't blame her. Not even a day before she so happily announced him her decision to divorce her hurband and be with him and the very next morning he reunites with his wife. 

He loved his children, he was delighted to see his daughter, but God, why did they have to return now? Now that he could finally be with the one woman he loved? He mentally slapped himself. Such an egotist he was, putting his own needs before his family's. Now it was the perfect time to correct his past mistakes. With the respective consequences, though. He had to sacrifice something. 

He looked at Gladys, who impatiently tapped her foot on the wooden floor. "I am".

"Good", she smiled. "But this time it will be on my terms, Forsythe. I want this to be perfect. I want our family to be perfect. And I'm not going to let anything or anyone destroy it", Gladys clarified and walked back to her booth, where her children waited for her.

"Sooo what were you two lovebirds talking about? Next time get a room please", Jughead not-so-subtly commented as JB giggled behind her strawberry milkshake. FP rolled his eyes, did they really seem so infatuated from afar?

"Mr. Jones", he heard Pop's voice from behind the bar. Damn, he hoped he wouldn't scold him for the scene his wife pulled in the diner. He approached him, bracing himself for the worst. "You know I don't really allow these kind of stunts taking place my diner, especially during your shift. But since I'm here, I guess I'll let you off a little earlier to spend some time with your family. Only for today, though", Pop Tate couldn't help but sympathize with his employee's situation. FP smiled in appreciation. 

"Thank you so much, Pop. And I'm sorry for the scene, Gladys and I just-", the elder man raised his hand to stop him.

"You don't have to explain yourself, FP. Just make sure you made the right decision", he replied and disappeared into the kitchen. For some reason, FP felt that his boss knew more than he let out, but didn't press him. He then took off his white hat and uniform and joined his family, enjoining their lunch together for the first time in forever. His children's happiness at their reunion filled him with joy and made him thought that he did make the right choice after all.

And maybe their smiles would manage to fill the void in his heart, that empty space a certain blue eyed girl almost occupied only to leave again. 

He just had to live with that.  
_________________________________

Alice left the diner like a hurricane, unable to hold back from bursting into tears. She could feel her heart breaking into small pieces. Why was this happening to her? Why did he have to go back to his wife, after her being ready to risk everything for him? Did he really love her as he said or she was just a game to him, a temporary replacement of Gladys?

She ran behind the Shoppe, where no one could see her, and sobbed all of her painful thoughts away. Trusting him was a mistake. Believing him was a mistake. Returning to him was wrong from the very beginning.

Maybe it was their destiny to be apart. He belonged to Gladys and she belonged to Hal. Where they should be. 

But that wouldn't change the truth that she still loved him. And she knew that stopping doing that was impossible.

She had to try, though. Try to forget him. Suck the poison out of her open wounds, those that Snake so beautifully carved on her body and soul. It would be difficult but she could at least pretend getting over him, as she did for 25 years.

And giving that second chance to Hal might be the first step. Like FP, she had a family too.

Alice wiped her tears and took a deep breath, regaining her calm posture, and headed towards the Register, when her phone beeped.

Maybe she should block his number too, she thought, while scrolling through her messages, almost positive that she had just received an apology from FP. What was actually sent to her though was far from what she expected, freezing her on the spot. Alice read the text again and again, each time being more and more desperate to find the meaning behind it. After a while she just gave up with a sigh, having no other choice than to comply to the message's instructions.

"Tomorrow at 12.00 p.m. behind the Rail Station. Come alone or Betty pays the price..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] Alice's reply is a line from the theatrical play "The Fire Raisers" by Max Frisch.  
> ________________________________
> 
> Here's another chapter! :) My Gladys is totally original, since we haven't been introduced to her yet, so it's just my vision of things. She may appear to be kind of a bitch but she has her fair share of excuses and her motives and past will be unravelled in the process. 
> 
> Also, since the fic has diverted from canon, my Chic will also be kind of different and will interact with the protagonists under other circumstances (although he will remain shady af!). Just wanted to clarify this!
> 
> Again, thank you so much for the support! I hope you enjoy it! ;)
> 
> A. L.


	5. Trapped

The sound of small movements in the trailer's dark living room woke FP up from his dreamworld. 'Dammit', he inwardly cursed, he had just managed to fall asleep in the -uncomfortable- couch, as he had offered the bedroom to his wife and daughter. Being in the same bed as Gladys was of course out of the question, as well as leaving his young girl the sofa to sleep. Jughead on the other hand didn't mind, he'd found comfort in even worse places before after all. But the truth was that Glady's and Jellybean's arrival affected the Jones' household in more ways than just the room arrangement.

He glanced at the empty couch opposing his, then turned to the source of the distracting little noise who was moving slowly towards the door. "Jughead?"

The boy bit his lip. Busted. He almost forgot how easily his father's sleep could be disturbed. FP stood up and looked at the clock on the wall above him. A quarter past midnight. "You're really doing a bad job at sneaking out, boy", he whispered.

"Dad I'm not..." he raised an eyebrow. "Ok fine. I'm going to the Whyte Wyrm. Please don't tell Mom".

FP eyed his son's leather jacket before smiling and putting on his own along with his boots, "You'd better make sure your mother doesn't see you in this". Jughead smirked. "Come on, but it's the first and last time I'm letting you go out this late at night".

They closed the door behind them almost soundlessly and walked towards their motorcycles. "It seems I'm not the only one who needs some space, Dad, am I?"

FP didn't reply but his son was telling the truth. He needed his space too. Actually he needed more than just his space. He needed his life back, he needed Alice and right now he desperately needed a drink.

He checked his phone for the millionth time that day, hoping that she had replied to his numerous messages. Nothing. Well, that was expected. But he had to talk to her. Apologize to her. Even if that meant watching her house from afar and wait for the right moment to knock, when her husband and daughter won't be there.

As he rode his Harley against the wind he felt liberated for some minutes. He knew that what they did was wrong but a last ride with his son wouldn't hurt now, would it? Besides, the atmosphere in the trailer seemed too suffocating now and all he wanted was to be free for one last night before returning to his married life.

The two Jones parked their motorbikes just outside the bar where their fellow Serpent mates greeted them. FP waved at them and entered the Whyte Wyrm while Jughead followed him, despite Sweet Pea who was lighting a cigarette calling him to stay outside. The Snakes all made way for their former King and his successor to pass through the crowd and they made their way to the bar. 

"Well well, the Jones boys back to the crime scene...", Toni smirked while wiping some glasses. "What are you drinking?"

FP smiled at the girl, "The usual, Topaz".

Jughead's eyes widened. "Dad, you said you wouldn't-"

"One last drink, son. Special occasion", he cut him off as Toni handled him a glass filled with whiskey. Double.

"I'll have the same", Jughead ordered coldly. Toni who raised an eyebrow turned to FP for permission, who just nodded. She brought the drink to her classmate, only this time with ice. "On the rocks", she winked, "it's better for an amateur drinker like you". 

The younger Jones grunted and tried to shallow as much liquid as he could from one sip, burning himself in the process. "Take it easy, boy, it ain't water", his father suggested. They both drank a few sips in silence, when FP ordered a second glass. "So what troubles you, son?", he began as Toni brought him another drink.

Jughead closed his eyes. So many things were torturing him ever since he returned to Riverdale High. But he always felt that he could confide to his dad. "It's just that... I don't feel myself anymore. I don't feel free! Here is the only place I can be who I am, a Serpent. I can't wear this jacket at school and now I can't even wear this at home! I have to hide my tattoo from Mom and JB and, as much as I love the fact that they are here again it upsets me that... that they won't accept who I am..."

FP sighed. "Jughead..."

"And it's not just that. Aside from the Serpents I feel like no one understands me. The school has turned into a battlefield of that endless war between the Bulldogs and us. And there's so much discrimination against us. I'm sick of everyone blaming the Serpents for anything that happens! And Betty...", he bit his lip. "Betty and I are not getting back together. And it really hurts me that I had to do this but I just couldn't let her follow me in this path... watching her do that dance was...", he finished his drink.

He turned to his father who just listened carefully, without saying a word. He seemed so lost in his own thoughts that Jughead doubted if he'd even paid attention to him. "Dad?"

FP nodded. "You made the right decision, boy, keeping her away from the Serpents. She knows it's for her own good and that you love her. And don't even think that she doesn't love you back...", he took another sip, "Don't give up on her, Jughead, or you'll regret it someday, that's for sure..."

Deja vu. It was the second time his dad gave him that piece of advice, the first one being after his birthday party. An epiphanic moment made him blink as realization hit him. "You... you almost sound like you've been there...", he watched his father's face fall. "You have, haven't you?"

"Oh, he has indeed. Like father, like son. Still drinking your pain away because of the Princess, FP?", a blonde middle-aged Serpent laughed behind her bottle of rum.

"Shut the fuck up, Birdie", FP snapped. Jughead froze, he had never seen his father so quick to react and being this angry.

"Dad... who is the Princess? When did this happen?", he couldn't help but ask astonished.

"None of your business, boy!", FP raised his hand at him, clearly not willing to discuss it any further. Jughead pouted. He had just opened up to his dad and he wouldn't trust him.

"I'll tell you...", Birdie insisted. "She was the love of your father's life. A blondie like your girlfriend... Gold digger, though, she left him for-"

How dare she? Speaking of Alice was prohibited in the bar ever since she left the Southside. Everyone knew how painful their break up was to him and never mentioned her, at least not in his presence. Birdie wasn't the discrete type, though, always poking her nose into others' affairs. And enjoying it.

But did she have to trigger him that particular day? And mention her to his son?

FP with a swift movement swept whatever was at his hand's reach to the floor, "I told you to shut up, you bitch!", he yelled. All the Serpents surrounding them rushed between them to prevent him from attacking her while she just smirked and walked away, shedding her poison "Poor FP, you still haven't gotten over her...", 

Tall Boy held FP while Fangs approached his dumbfounded son, giving him the keys he just fished out of FP's pocket, "You better take him home, he is drunk". Jughead just sighed, the latter statement was quite obvious. He wasn't completely sober himself but he surely was in a better condition than his father. 

Before leaving with him, Jughead turned to Toni. "Please find out as much as you can about that Princess", he whispered. The bartender thumbed up to him and continued cleaning up the broken glasses from the floor. He then moved alongside FP out of the bar. "Come on, Dad, we're walking home", he said. He couldn't risk driving intoxicated and of course he wouldn't let his father do the same.

FP scoffed and hopped on his motorcycle, trying to find his keys in his jacket, "Where the hell..."

Jughead clinged them in the air. "We're walking home, Dad, you're not taking the cycle tonight", he smiled and started heading towards the Sunnyside trailer park by foot. 

FP cursed at his antics but followed him, walking faster to match his pace. "So...", the raven-haired boy uttered, thinking how he could prize information out of his secretive father, "what was that all about?"

He could sense him rolling his eyes. "I told you, Jughead, it's none of your business".

"Of course it is, Dad!", he screamed. "That woman must have meant a lot to you to react this way, breaking glasses and causing a scene! Is it true what Birdie said? That she was the love of your life?"

"You better stop asking questions you don't wanna know the answers to, boy", FP hissed. 

That only intrigued Jughead even more. "What do you mean by that? Do you... do you still love her?", he muttered. If that was true, hell, he wasn't sure if he would want to know it.

Dammit. His tongue was completely on the alcohol's mercy, willing to slip secrets to his already suspicious son. And FP was well aware of the detective tendencies Jughead had. If he was curious about something, nothing in the world could stop him from finding the truth. That's why he played an important part in uncovering Jason Blossom's murder, after all.

"I'm married to your mother, Jughead", he yelled.

"That's not what I asked you".

"I don't care!", FP walked faster to avoid being further interrogated. Hopefully they had almost arrived home.

"Who is she?", Jughead stayed behind, folding his arms.

FP stopped for a moment. "It doesn't matter. You don't know her anyway"

"I don't believe you! And it's obvious you're still thinking of her! I...", he paused, "I understand that you and Mom don't love each other anymore. And I'm not going to pressure you into doing it after all these years. So why don't you tell me the truth, Dad? Why don't you trust me?", his voice came out as a whine.

He heard his father sighing as he opened the door, before painfully responding. "Please stay out of this. It really doesn't matter".

Jughead didn't buy it. His father was a terrible liar. "I will find out the truth, Dad. Whether you want it or not".

FP ignored him and entered the trailer, when suddenly the lights turned on revealing Gladys siting on the couch and waiting for them with her arms and legs crossed. She looked at Jughead who stepped in a moment after her husband did and her expression changed from displeased to ultimately shocked when she realized what he was wearing.

"What the hell is this?", she stood up and grabbed him from the leather jacket. "You are a Serpent?!". Gladys then turned to FP. "And you're still wearing yours? What is going on here? How could you let him join them?", she yelled.

"Gladys...", FP tried to calm her down.

She noticed his red cheeks and moved her head closer to his and inhaled. The odor of cheap whiskey was too strong. "Oh God, you've been drinking again!", Gladys rolled her eyes. "But I'll deal with you later", she looked at Jughead. "How long has this been going on?"

Jughead folded his arms. "Ever since dad got in jail and the only family I had rejected me".

FP's eyes widened. "What do you mean?"

"I called Mom the day you were arrested and asked her to live with her... guess what her answer was...", he stared at his mother menacingly.

His father's jaw dropped. "What the fuck, Gladys? He is your son!"

She scoffed. "Are you blaming me for your father's incompetence to take care of you?"

"No, I'm blaming you for leaving me! For rejecting me when I needed you! For fuck's sake, I'm your child too!", he yelled.

"You don't understand..."

"Listen, I appreciate you trying to make amends. But I haven't forgotten that you weren't there for me. The Serpents were those who supported me, who protected me. They are my family, too. And I'm proud of being a member of this gang. So if you have a problem with that, sorry Mom, but I don't care about your opinion. You can't just come back here and pretend thay we are the perfect family because we are far from that", he glanced at his father and turned to leave the room when he saw the tears forming in his mother's eyes.

"I'm... I'm sorry, Jughead. I really am. I know that I haven't been the best mother to you but I'm willing to try. That's why I'm here. Please... forgive me. Give me a chance to make up for this", she took his hands in hers and stared into his eyes apologetically.

Jughead remained silent for some seconds. "Fine", he finally replied. "But I'm not leaving the Serpents, deal with it".

She sighed. "Ok. But please reconsider it". Jughead's phone beeped. He glanced at the message notification and went to the bathroom, leaving the couple alone. FP took off his jacket and shoes and walked towards the couch when his wife grabbed his arm and made him face her.

"I can't believe you let him follow your footsteps!", she whispered, pointing her finger to him.

"And I can't believe you didn't take him in when he needed you! How could you be so heartless, Gladys?", he asked her, his expression showing how disappointed he was at her.

Gladys opened her mouth to reply, then decided against it. "Goodnight, FP", she softly said. "We'll talk about it tomorrow". She left the room without waiting for his reply.

After hearing the bedroom's door close, FP lied on the couch and sighed. "Goodnight, Gladys".

Their first day as a family again was a complete disaster. But for some reason he couldn't care less. The only thought that really tormented him before falling asleep for the second time that night involved a pair of heartbroken azure eyes...

After a while Jughead came out of the trailer's toilet, holding his phone tightly in his grip. His first thought was waking his father up and demand an explanation but it would only make things worse. Besides, with his Mom and sister here, it'd be better if he kept his father's obvious feelings for another woman a secret.

Everything made sense now. Their puns, their playful teasing, the fight between his mother and her, her interest in his father's well-being, Birdie's hints...

He sighed. He could lie to anyone, he could lie to Betty but not to himself. The reason he wanted to keep this a secret was clearly for his own interest. No, he couldn't risk it. What if she reciprocated his feelings? What if they got together again? She was married and his mother had just returned but if he was still in love with her? And, seeing how terrible things were between his parents, he wasn't sure if his dad wouldn't leave his mom to go after her...

He couldn't risk it. It would destroy every possibility of him getting back with Betty. And of his family remaining united, of course.

He lied on his couch, his head aching from the alcohol and the numerous worst-case senarios that played in his head, along with the telephone conversation he had with Toni a few minutes earlier, that particular sentence she spoke repeating itself over again and again...

"The Princess... She was your father's girlfriend when he first joined the Serpents. She's... She's Alice Cooper, Betty's Mom... I'm so sorry, Juggy..."  
______________________________________________

"Tomorrow at 12.00 p.m. behind the Rail Station. Come alone or Betty pays the price..."

12:01. Alice kept rereading the anonymous message on her phone, pacing back and forth on the wooden platform nervously. And, while she never paid attention to this kind of threats -as a journalist she'd got used to them by now-, anything that involved her children was to be taken seriously. Riverdale is a dangerous town, and even if the Black Hood was finally caught, you could never be one hundred percent safe. Her eyes had seen a lot of bad stuff back when she was at the wrong side of the tracks and it was another thing to risk her own life, another thing to even consider jeopardizing her childen's. Besides, there were too many suspicions regarding the Black Hood's true identity and even she didn't buy the story behind Mr. Svenson's motives. Someone else was the mastermind behind him and, if that were true, she had every reason to be afraid, being a sinner herself.

She checked her watch again. 12:03 and still nothing on the horizon. Alice was more and more convinced it was a prank, but then again, why did they asked her to meet them at the Rail Station? Not at Pop's or any other meeting point. It was located on the Western part of the town, a neutral territory, away from the Serpents' or the Ghoulies' hideouts. Whoever send the message was trying to hide. From the police? From the gangs? She didn't know.

12:09 and she started running out of patience. She turned on her heels when suddenly heavy footsteps were heard approaching her from behind. Alice took a deep breath before turning around, anticipating the worst.

No. That couldn't be the Black Hood. The person that shot Fred Andrews at Pop's was a tall man at his forties, not a slim blonde young woman not over 30 years old.

However, her thunderous icy blue eyes somehow terrified Alice even more than the possibility of another murderer. The smirk she sent her confirmed her fear that she was the one who sent her the threatening message.

The woman in question stood confidently before her, putting her hands on her hips. "Alice Cooper... I've heard a lot about you, 'Princess'..."

Her nickname. When she was a Southsider. How could she know that? That person was surely more dangerous than she appeared to be.

Alice crossed her arms, trying not to let her intimidate her. "Then you probably know that I don't usually appreciate strangers sending me threats, so you might as well tell me who you are and what do you want from me".

The woman sneered at her. "All in good time, 'Princess', all in good time. Tell me... how does it feel to leave your past behind? To change your identity? I bet that after all these years of being the perfect suburban housewife you've probably forgotten about the Serpent ways, right?"

How could she know so much about her life? Her secrets? "That is none of your business!", Alice yelled, "Now tell me who the hell are you and why did you drag me here before I lose my temper and do something I might regret..."

Alice heard the woman laughing at her outburst. "Oh, that's the Southside spirit, that's what I want from you! Your skills. I know all about your criminal adolescence and I'm quite impressed, that's why I picked you". She grinned at her addressee's shocked expression and continued. "You are going to deliver some packages to Greendale. Every second night. As for their content, well, I don't think I need to elaborate... it's not like you haven't done it before anyway..."

"Do you really believe that I'm going to agree to this? Some nerve you have! You said yourself, I've changed my identity. I have nothing to do with the Serpents, so find another snake to do your bidding. And don't ever bother me again 'cause I can be very dangerous too", Alice had lost her patience and went on the defensive. 

Her opponent raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Well, unfortunately, you don't have a choice...", she took some photographs out of her pocket and gave them to Alice, "and unless you want these to be sent directly to your ignorant husband, you'll do as I say. And that's just the first warning..."

Alice felt her hands tremble as she saw the incriminating pictures of that night at the Whyte Wyrm a couple of weeks ago, showing herself and her lover in intimate moments. "Where... where did you find these?"

"Photography was always my passion", she smiled. "I wonder... how is Betty going to react when she finds out you're screwing her boyfriend's fath..."

"Shut up", Alice's face fell. "You win. I'll do it. Just leave my family out of this". 

"Now we're on the same page, 'Princess'. Tonight is your first delivery. You do have a station wagon, right? Meet me outside the old Blossom warehouse near the Sweetwater river. I'll fill you in with details then... oh, and something else..."

Alice just couldn't take anymore. "What is it?", she asked in resignation.

"Don't even think of calling the police or informing the Serpents about our deal. The consequences will be fatal".

She sighed. "Got it. One question, though". The woman tilted her head, waiting for it. "Why me?"

"Personal reasons", she simply replied. "And your adultery made it so much easier to blackmail you", she paused before coyly delivering the deathblow, "Not that I blame you, though, FP is great in bed...", she winked at Alice, fully aware of the impact her words had as she watched her eyes shattering. Satisfied from defeating her rival, she turned to leave. "The name's Penny Peabody by the way. See you at 10 sharp, 'Princess'...".

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally uploaded it! It was intended to be longer and involve a scene between Alice and FP but I kept it for the next chapter. Jughead was not supposed to be in this chapter but I love his character and wanted to explore the relationships between the Jones. The ideas just kept coming! I hope I kept him in character!
> 
> This chapter also includes one of the first scenes I wrote, that being Alice's encounter with the Snake Charmer, something I really want to see on the show! Naturally, Penny has her own motives for involving Alice in her business. I really despise her but she is the perfect villain.
> 
> Thank you all very much for reviewing and leaving kudos, as well as for your supportive words! I hope you enjoy it! :) 
> 
> A. L.


	6. Decisions, decisions

9.30 p.m.. FP Jones had just ended his afternoon shift at Pop's Chock'lit Shoppe after being obliged to stay overtime. A group of unsupervised kids had started a food fight with disastrous results and he had to clean up the mess they left behind. Fortunately, Pop Tate happened to arrive earlier for his shift and gave him a hand. But working for almost 9 hours straight while being hangover was too much for him to handle. All he wanted was to return home and sleep it off.

You can tell a good day from its start, they say, and his couldn't be any worse. The second he opened his eyelids Gladys started nagging him for sneaking out the night before, for dragging their son into the Serpents, for showing up drunk again. He accused her of neglecting Jughead when he needed her, she replied that it was his own actions that put him in jail that made him an irresponsible parent and, long story short, their spiteful altercation resulted in an epic fight with her screaming hysterically, him breaking a couple of vases in his anger and Jellybean crying and swearing at her impossible parents who had totally forgotten that it was her first day at Riverdale's Elementary School. Gladys apologized coldly, only per her daughter's request and left the trailer in a hurry to register JB at her new school, the latter following her in a frown.

When they returned home a few hours later, his wife and he didn't say a word to one another. Perhaps that passive aggressive silence was the only way for them to remain civilized. Gladys was doing some chores while he was getting ready for work. JB locked herself in the bedroom, escaping the toxic environment of her house through her guitar's melodies. FP tried talking to her before leaving the house only for his request to be completely ignored.

He had to make amends with his daughter soon. She had every right to be mad at them. But Gladys' behavior and attitude were not helping at all. He hoped that things would get better in the future, even though something inside him was certain that it would be pointless to even try.

Later at Pop's he came across the suspicious and enigmatic stare of his other offspring. FP was quite unsure of how to approach his son after their argument, but Jughead didn't seem to mind. They made small talk about his theory that Southside High was closed down for reasons irrelevant to those Sierra McCoy declared legit when Betty entered the diner looking for him. FP smirked at the girl's arrival before leaving them alone, apparently his son and her were one step closer to be reconciled. However, he couldn't help but wonder why he didn't confront him about last night's events. FP had no doubts that Jughead was mad at him for having feelings for another woman and for not revealing him the truth. But not pestering him about it was totally out of character. Something was off with his son and the more he thought about it, the more convinced he was that Jughead was determined to find the identity of his ex. Sneakily and silently, just like a snake.

For some reason FP dreaded that this moment was just around the corner. But he decided to stay with his wife anyway so even if the truth came out, it wouldn't matter. Alice belonged to his past. 

A past he would never escape.

Who was he kidding? He could never forget her. He could never stop caring about her. He could never stop loving her. He didn't even try to get over her, for two days he'd been checking his phone every five minutes to see if she had replied to any of his numerous texts. It was one thing not contacting her for 25 years due to her marriage, another thing to taste the forbidden fruit and being forced to give it up. No, he wouldn't do it again.

FP put on his beloved Serpent jacket and hopped on his motorcycle. If she wasn't willing to answer to his calls and messages then he would have to apologize to her in person. 

He smirked when he arrived to his destination, a block away from the Cooper's residence, where he left his vehicle. As he walked towards her house, he tried to think of a believable excuse just in case her husband or daughter were there to question him. He could say that his son was nowhere to be found and figured he might have been at Betty's. That would definitely work.

A door slamming shut took him off guard when he realized that it was Alice storming out of her house, rushing towards the old station wagon and getting into it like a whirlwind. Hearing the sound of the ignition he knew that he wouldn't manage to catch her up in time so he chose to return to his motorbike and follow her from a distance. Since she set off first, it would be easy to go after her unnoticed.

Tonight he would speak to her. One way or another.

Driving steadily behind her alongside the Sweetwater river, careful not to lose track of her but not give away his presence either, he couldn't help but wonder why would she be in such an isolated place in the middle of the night. It wasn't long until he recognized the awfully familiar route she took, heading to the old Blossom warehouse.

That could only mean two things. Either the Riverdale Police Department actually did its job for the first time and managed to uncover the still active drug trafficking business that continued operating under Keller's nose even after Clifford Blossom's death, and Alice had to be there to cover the news for tomorrow's "The Register"s front page, or it was the case of the most terrifying and, unfortunately, most likely scenario.

The Snake Charmer was back, hungry for vengeance. And got to her.  
________________________________

Alice just couldn't shake off that weird feeling that she was being watched the whole time she was driving. As far as she knew, no one was aware of her delivery except for Penny. Betty had gone to Veronica's to study for an exam and she honestly couldn't care less about Hal's whereabouts. But he wasn't at home so there was no chance he could have followed her. As for the police, they had no reason to do so. Well, not yet. But it was due to her past arrest that just the thought of someone witnessing her illegal activities terrified her to the core. The memory of that night was still intact in her head...

She parked the car just outside the metal door of the warehouse, next to the motorcycle that probably belonged to her blonde blackmailer who casually laid with her back on the wall, blowing smoke rings. Alice got out of the station wagon, closing the door with more force than necessary. Her whole body was shaking, despite her trying to keep her calm composure. Seeing Penny, the temptation to indulge in her past habit came back stronger than ever. It was when she first did the deliveries that she started smoking, the only thing that helped her cope with her stressful routine, and she had a hard time quitting it, stopping only when she got pregnant to Charles.

"Want one?", the younger blonde smirked, offering her the pack. Alice hesitated for a second before taking a cigarette, her other hand grabbing the silver lighter her companion took out off her leather jacket. 

A Serpent jacket.

"You're a Southside Serpent?", Alice asked after she inhaled a long drug, coughing lightly as she felt the delicious sensation burning her chest.

"Kinda. Been kicked out for a while...", Penny took one last drug and stepped on the cigarette butt, "but I haven't said my last word yet".

"What do you mean?". Her cold vengeful tone sent thrills down Alice's spine.

The Snake Charmer eyed her from head to toe. "You're asking too many questions, 'Princess'. Remember, I'm the one calling the shots here, so don't get too familiar with me". 

Alice nodded, trying not to roll her eyes at the ironic way she referred to her. That nickname was part of her past identity and it occupied a very special place in her heart. Before even joining the Serpents, FP used to call her 'Princess' to tease her back when they were kids. He would say that she was beautiful but also stuck up, that she had the pretty eyes and the nasty attitude of a Princess. She would answer back, of course she would, but deep down she treasured those moments he used that nickname.

Like that time, when her fierce 10-year-old self got into a fight with an older boy, a snobby Northsider. He tried to steal her lunch at school and she slapped him. But, being taller and stronger than her he was about to beat her badly when FP intervened and punched him on the face, yelling that no one messed with his Princess. Upon hearing that, she kissed him on the lips in front of the whole school...

Their first kiss...

And his promise, still ringing in her ears: "I will always protect you"...

Alice sighed. She was on her own now, alone with a woman capable to use her own memories against her. While he...

He was away. He had no reason to be with her, after all.

"What do I have to do?", she asked, finishing off her cigarette, trying to escape her thoughts, that arbitrary stream of consciousness that always revolved around him. She made a wrong decision, sleeping with him, and it came to bite her in the ass. And since she couldn't avoid doing the Charmer's dirty work, the sooner she was done with it, the better.

Penny handled her a weekend bag that was laying on the ground beside her. "It's light, don't worry. Jingle Jangle. Finest quality. There's a farm Southwest of the town. Ask for Mrs. Evans". She checked her phone for the time. "Ten fifteen. I suggest you get going. You don't wanna be in Greendale after midnight. And I need you alive".

Alice opted not to reply and put the bag on the back of the car while Penny got on her motorbike. "Last thing, if you get caught you're alone", she said before riding off into the night, leaving the former Serpent Princess behind.

Not a minute later Alice got into the station wagon with a sigh and began driving towards her destination, when suddenly she pressed the brakes hard, gripping the wheel as the headlamps shed light to the man standing in the middle of the road with his arms crossed and his Harley obstructing the way. Alice cursed upon realizing who he was and got out of the car banging the door behind her.

"Are you high on fumes?", she yelled, marching towards FP. "I almost killed you!". She stood before him mirroring his stance and folded her arms. "What the hell are you doing here? Did you follow me?". At least she wasn't getting paranoid.

FP smirked. It was exactly the kind of reaction he expected from her. "Yes", he admitted. "I wanted to talk to you about yesterday but th-"

"There's nothing left to be said, FP", she interrupted him coldly. "You've made your decisions and I've made mine. And you really have to leave, if Penny sees you here...".

"She won't", he assured her. "I just watched her driving away. And I don't believe that meeting with the Snake Charmer was your decision".

"You know me that well!", she mocked, hoping not to give away her anxiety. "What if you're wrong?"

"What does she have on you?", he asked her.

"That's none of your business".

"What the hell does Penny have on you?", he raised his voice.

"I'm not going to tell you, FP. Now get out of my way", Alice motioned for him to leave and turned to walk back to the car when FP grasped her arm and brought her to him.

"No", he firmly said.

"Get out of my way or I won't hesitate running you over", she threatened, staring at him intensely. He had to leave. He needed to leave. If Penny came back and saw them together she was doomed. And the last thing she wanted was dragging him into this, too.

She tried to escape from his grip but he pushed her against the hood of the car, trapping her body between his hands. "I'm not leaving until you answer the damn question, Alice!".

The woman smirked and grabbed the black bandana that was tied around his neck, bringing his head down, closer to hers. "You know...", she whispered against his lips, "I've always liked it when you get angry..."

FP chuckled. She was so predictable at times. "Don't try this tactic with me, it won't work. Now answer the fucking question or..."

"Or what?", she looked in his eyes innocently. "What are you going to do to me?"

Damn her. She was getting to him. "Alice stop this or I swear to God..."

"What?", she sent him a devilish smile, fully aware of his frustration. "Are you afraid that your ex-girlfriend or your wife might see us? And here I thought that danger excited you..."

FP blinked. "What do you mean?"

"Oh yes, Penny told me all about you two. How much she enjoyed it when you-"

Of course that Snake would have told Alice about them. But he doubted she told her the whole truth. She had surely omitted certain parts of it. Nevertheless, he had to come clean. "It happened only once. I was drunk and-"

She brushed it off. "Save your excuses for Gladys, FP. I honestly couldn't care less".

He grinned. "Hmmm... jealous much, Alice?"

Damnit. He could read past her. Again. How much she wanted to swipe off that arrogant smirk of his! "Of course not. It's not like you mean anything to me, anyway...".

He raised an eyebrow. "Right... Even if the other night you said that you loved me..."

"Don't take it too seriously", she spat. "Let's say that you were just... a distraction. We had some great... moments but it's over now". 

Hit him where it hurts, push him way...

FP's eyes darkened. "A distraction, huh?"

"Yes", Alice replied, satisfied with herself. "A way to appreciate more what I have with Hal. And now that we're over this I have a delivery to do so if you please...", she tried to slide away from him but he noticed her movement and grabbed her waist, turned her around and pushed her forward to the hood with force, gripping her hands above her head on the metallic surface. 

"I told you, Alice, these tricks don't work with me. There's no way I'm letting you do this".

"Take your hands off me or I'll..."

"You'll what, shout? Go ahead, no one will hear you here anyway", he laughed. 

"Fuck you, FP!", she yelled. He was getting on her nerves, not being bothered by her trying to manipulate him to leave. And, honestly, she didn't expect him to push this so far. Like Penny herself said, it wasn't like she hadn't done it before. Why wouldn't he just let her be?

"Curse all you want but I'm not letting you go. Not until you tell me in what way she blackmails you". 

"No".

"Tell me before I lose my patience!", he growled.

"Your empty threats don't scare me, Forsythe". Sure, he might be a dangerous man but she was never afraid of him. In fact, she felt safer in his presence than anywhere else.

"I don't care if we'll have to stay here all night or day or days even. But you will tell me the truth". 

That would be impossible. She had to deliver the drugs tonight. And he had taken up too much of her time already. "The hell I am! Let me go!", she tried to free her hands of his grip. "HELP! HELP! Somebody help m-"

"Shut up!" They were in the middle of nowhere and the chances of someone coming to her rescue were slim to none, but she was annoying him now. He took her hands in his left hand to muzzle her with the other one. What he didn't see coming, though, was that the second his hand covered her mouth Alice bit it so hard that he was sure she drew blood from his palm. "You bit-". She made an attempt to escape that single moment he was shocked from the pain but he grabbed her hair and pulled her roughly closer to him.

"Why can't you just see that I'm trying to protect you here, damnit?", he breathed against her ear. "You have no idea how much of a Cobra she is and she's only using you to get back at me... you don't wanna go through this ride".

She sighed. "If I tell you what she has on me, will you promise me that you let me go and stay out of this?". Her tone was softer now. But she had to make her point. 

He remained silent for a few seconds. "Fine", he replied. "What is it?"

Alice took a long breath before speaking. "She has photos of us. She was there at the Whyte Wyrm the night we... She's going to tell Hal if I don't comply. And she threatened me not to involve the Police of the Serpents in this. Do you see now why I'm so scared? I don't have a choice. I was about to leave Hal when your wife came back and now...", her voice was breaking.

"Shh...", he turned her to face him. "I understand. But do you know the risk you're taking? Penny is vicious. If something goes wrong she's a lawyer, you can't even imagine the connections she has, she will find a way out, while you..."

Alice caressed his chick gently. "I know. And I appreciate that you want to help me. But I can take care of myself. After all, you shouldn't even talk to me. You have to go home and spend time with your wife and children. And, to make things clear...", she looked deeply into his eyes, "I'm not mad at you for staying with her".

"Alice...", he sighed. "I'm only doing this for the kids. I don't love her. I love you. That's why I can't even stand the idea of you getting hurt..."

She smiled and planted a soft kiss on his lips. "I love you too, FP. And don't worry about me. I'll be fine. But I have to go now. It's already late and Greendale is a dangerous town..."

"I'll come with you!", he declared.

"No. If someone sees us we're both doomed. And I've already told you, I don't want to drag you into this too!"

"Alice I'm responsible for you doing this. Penny is using you to hurt me. And I'll do whatever it takes to keep you safe from her poison".

"FP, you promised you wouldn't get involved! Please go home, I'm doing this alone!", she said, hoping that he wouldn't persist in following her.

"Alright", he resigned. "But you seem to have forgotten the thing that I promised you when you kissed me for the first time...". Her sapphire eyes lit at his words and he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before brushing his lips against hers, "I will always protect you, my Princess".

Her mouth claimed his with the need and passion that burned inside her, moaning as he kissed her back immediately, desperately, hungrily. His hands roamed all over her and she could see that he was already turned on from their fight, too. It used to be typical of them to resolve their arguments with some rounds of steamy make-up sex back when they were together and, although her body was begging her for it, they had to stop before things went too far.

Alice broke the kiss and sent him an apologetic look. "I want you so bad, FP. But this isn't the right place, nor the right time. I really have to go".

He frowned but nodded in understanding. "Just be careful. And I will get you out of this, don't worry".

"FP...", she was about to reprimand him again but knew it would be pointless.

"One last thing", he reached at his pocket and pulled out a packet of cigarettes and a lighter, "these may come in handy".

She smiled at his thoughtfulness. "Thank you", she took his hand in hers, the one she previously bit. "And sorry for this".

He giggled. "Oh Alice, you'd left marks way worse than this...".

She rolled her eyes. "I suggest you go before I leave more".

"Is that an invitation?", he teased before putting on his helmet and riding his motorcycle. She sent him one last smile and got into the car, her heart still pounding from excitement. He loved her. He cared about her. And that gave her all the strength she needed to go through this delivery. As she watched him leave, she hoped that he wouldn't do anything rush to protect her. She didn't want to have to worry about him, too.

FP drove his motorcycle with speed, dead set on taking matters into his own hands. Alice didn't approve, but she was unaware of the dangers that came with being in bed with the Snake Charmer. He had to do something before Penny trapped her for good.

And if that meant being forever indebted to her, he was willing to make the sacrifice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a while since my last update but here it is! :) The story is going to be longer than I expected and I'm trying to set the pace for the new arcs that will follow so please pardon the delay! 
> 
> Thank you very much for your support!
> 
> A. L.


	7. A Serpent never betrays his own

Bang bang bang

No answer.

"Open the damn door Penny, I know you're in there", FP's hoarse yells echoed into the night as he banged forcefully the wooden door of the small apartment in the Southside.

Bang bang bang

"Open it or I'll break it!"

A few seconds later the door finally opened revealing a half-awake Charmer, barely covering herself with a black silk robe, grinning as she met her visitor's angry eyes.

"Well well, you've never been too eager to see me, FP. Did you miss me?"

He shoved her to the side and stepped into the house, closing the door behind him. "Cut the crap. You know why I'm here".

Penny raised an eyebrow. "Really? Hmmm... that means that someone broke a promise, and you know first hand what happens to those who fail to keep their word, don't you?"

"I followed her to the warehouse. I saw you. Why, Penny? It's me you have a problem with. Leave Alice out of this!", he sounded more pleading and less threatening, despite trying to gain the upper hand in the conversation. He was there to negotiate, not surrender to her wishes.

Not without a fight.

"Now why would I want to do that?", she coyly said, folding her arms.

"I'll take her place. I'll do whatever you want. Just leave her alone!"

"That's a tempting offer... but I'll have to decline".

No. He couldn't lose his chance to save Alice. He just couldn't. Not like this. "Why her and not me?"

"And miss the opportunity to watch you suffer? To watch you be unable to help your precious girl? It would be such a waste...", her sugary voice triggered his nerves and he grabbed her neck roughly, pushing her against the wall. 

"Listen to me, you venomous snake! If anything happens to her I swear to God..."

He had run out of patience. She had taken the best of him. He knew that he had lost the battle before it even started. But he couldn't stand hearing her ramble about having Alice in her grip.

Much to his surprise, though, Penny didn't fight back. It felt like she expected him to react in this way.

As if she had planned it. Every single move.

"Why don't you release me and sit and talk like civilized people? In case you forgot, you are not in a position to make threats, FP. Need I remind you of a certain debt?"

Her calmness confirmed his suspisions and the remembrance of the promise he broke, of the debt he owned to her, of the power she had over him loosened his hand around her neck as he took some steps backwards, reason conquering his mind again.

"Why? Why are you doing this?", he softly asked, hoping that at least she would reveal her motives.

Penny looked at him menacingly as she raised her silk sleeve, revealing a large red scar on her left inner forearm. He couldn't help but winch at the hideous sight. "There used to be my Serpent tattoo... until your son sliced a chunk out of my arm and left me bleeding in a ditching Greendale...".

FP lowered his face into his hands in frustration as he paced around the small living room. No. No! That wasn't possible! How could Jughead do such an atrocity? Sure, Penny was a devious and wicked woman, but breaking the Serpent law was unacceptable.

Shame. Shame and betrayal. That's all he could think of. And the irony of it, all coming from his own flesh and blood...

He couldn't even look at her after that revelation, let alone make demands, his hopes of helping Alice now crushed.

Penny continued, her tone more icy than ever, "But I feel generous enough not to target him. For now, at least. Instead, I have your little Princess do my dirty work. And now that I think of it, there are some nines that need to be sent across the country and she's just the right person for this...".

"What's your price, Penny?"

"Blood for blood. An eye for an eye. A heavy price, indeed. I doubt if you'll be able to pay for it...", her eyes screamed for vengeance.

"Just spit it out!". He dreaded her response, each passing second seeming like a lifetime. Knowing her, she would probably involve him further into the drug dealing business, gunrunning, even becoming her personal hitman.

But he didn't mind. He would do anything to get Alice out of the deal.

She smirked. "I want the Serpents".

Except for this.

"What?"

"The Serpents, FP. Give me the leadership and I'll let Alice off the hook".

He was well aware of the outcome of Penny becoming the ruler of the gang. It would be ultimately destroyed or, worse, turn into Ghoulies, hard drug dealers for the sole purpose of her gaining money.

The fifth law: a Serpent never betrays his own. FP couldn't let that happen to them. They were his family, his children. He was their king, their protector. For so many years they faced numerous dangerous situations, standing united against the Northside and their rivals. Being their leader had proven to be both a blessing and a curse, but he'd chosen to live with the consequences of it. 

No, he couldn't do that to them. But he had to protect Alice. As far as he was concerned, she was still a Serpent.

"You know that's not possible. The Serpents vote for their leader", he made a last effort to readjust the terms.

She just brushed it off, waving her hand in the air. "Pff, I'm not worried about that. Your little Snakes own me their lives. You leave the gang along with your son and I take your place. Refuse and her Jingle Jangle traffickings would be the least of your problems. You have 72 hours to make up your mind, starting from now", she looked at the time on her phone's screen and showed it to him. 22:50.

FP sighed in defeat. "Fine. On one condition. She won't be doing any dealings those three days". The more time he could save and the lesser risk she was put in, the better.

Penny laughed under her breath. "She was always your soft underbelly, Jones. Be sure of that, she'll the death of you, not me".

He pointed his finger at her. "Alice doesn't deserve any of this, Penny, and you know that".

"No. She doesn't. But I do what I have to do to survive. I'm not the villain here. Besides, she still has her own tattoo, right?". His eyes fell from shame at the realisation. "Things change, FP. We just adapt to circumstances". She then opened the door and stood to the side, ending the visit. "See you at the Whyte Wyrm on Friday, at 11 p.m. . I'll be waiting for your final decision". FP nodded and exited the building without a word. "Oh, one last thing", he could hear Penny yelling at him before turning around to face her with a puzzled look on his face. "Tell Jughead that he hasn't seen the last of me. I'm just getting started with both of you. Good night".

With that, she closed the door, leaving FP with the heavy burden of an impossible predicament.  
__________________________

Jughead was surprised to see his father enter the Whyte Wyrm with a flusk of whiskey at hand as he sipped the final drops of the liquid. He frowned. After witnessing the scene his mother made last night he was almost positive that FP would have actually complied to her wishes and quit this lifestyle, leaving the Serpents and his alcohol addiction to the past. 

But yet again, he had heard that same promise hundreds of times before. And nothing changed.

"Dad...", he called out only for FP to ignore him. Jughead searched his eyes thoroughly as he made his way onto the stage. 

All he could see was pain.

Something bad had happened. Bad enough for his father to rush to his favorite beverage for comfort. Bad enough to feel his aura overwhelming the space as everyone in the room gathered around him, silently waiting for their leader to speak.

FP looked at the small crowd for a moment before clearing his throat. "What is the fifth law?"

"A Serpent never betrays his own!", Fangs Fogarty yelled in pride.

"A Serpent never betrays its own", he repeated loudly. "And it breaks my heart to know that one of us, namely my son, has broken that law and hurt one of his own kind".

Jughead broke out in a cold sweat as he felt everyone's eyes staring at him in confusion. He must have learned about what he did to the Snake Charmer. And, judging by his father's terrified expression, she got to him. God only knew what favor she might have asked him to take back at the Serpents...

FP continued. "I'm well aware that some of us, including me, have a fair share of debts to the Snake Charmer. But despite her attitude and her heavy price for helping us, she is a Serpent. She still is, even without her tattoo...". He waited for the hubbub his words caused to settle, watching his son's mortified expression. "That's right. I'm ashamed and disappointed that my own flesh and blood committed such a despicable act. Mutilating a woman? Carving off her skin? That's unforgivable!"

He lowered his voice, the hardest part was now. "The punishment for this is exile from the gang. Normally, first as a father and then as the leader of the Serpents, I would have been ruthless with Jughead and put this into a vote". The latter felt his blood freezing in his veins, sighing in relief as FP resumed his speech. "But desperate times call for desperate measures. We must stand united as one, now more than ever. Penny is back. She wants revenge. And, more than anything, she wants the leadership... She's blackmailing me. She's threatening an ex-Serpent in hopes of me surrendering the gang to her..."

Jughead raised an eyebrow. He couldn't be referring to...

FP took a deep breath. "Many of you remember the Princess. She might have left us long ago, but in her heart she still is a Southsider. Penny is targeting her to get back at me, she dragged an innocent person into her business and who knows what she's going to do to her if I don't give in...". He paused for a second, trying to regain his composure. "I'm not going to break the Serpent law and betray you, leaving you under her merciless rule. I'm not going to let you become like the Ghoulies. But I need your help. We have to take care of the Princess. She used to be one of our own. Now it's her, tomorrow it will be my son, Sweet Pea, Hog Eye, any of us... Penny gave me a deadline. In three days she will come here for my final answer. Let's all give her the welcome she deserves, a welcome suitable for a traitor!"

The Serpents cheered at their king's passionate speech, filling his eyes with hope. It was a long shot, but FP had faith in them. Fortunately, they seemed eager to help him.

"Absolutely not", a gravely voice yelled from the crowd.

"What is your problem again, Tall Boy?", Jughead hissed, unable to contain himself. 

Tall Boy disregarded his question and made his way to the stage, facing FP. "As you said, Penny has dirt on many of us. I'm not going to risk my head and trigger her wrath for a Northsider. Your beloved Princess is not a Serpent anymore. Ever since she left us she's been doing nothing but attack us daily and the only reason we haven't burned her office to the ground is because you forbade us from doing it. So, from what I see, Penny isn't the traitor here. You are".

FP snapped. "What the hell are you implying?"

"You are for even considering exposing us to danger in order to save your ex-girlfriend. If you really cared for your own, FP, knowing how doomed we would be with Penny calling the shots and how vengeful she is you wouldn't think of opposing her. And, to be honest, I totally understand her. What your son did was unacceptable and I don't see why you let him get away with this. So instead of turning against Penny, as if us Serpents don't have enough problems already, I suggest you discipline your son first and let your Princess to fate. After all, she broke the fifth law first".

"I don't see why wanting to protect the woman he loved makes him a traitor, Tall Boy", Toni glared at him, crossing her arms.

"This is not the first time he puts the Serpents in jeopardy to save her ass. Remember that night, King?", he mocked. "If it weren't for us both of you would've been six feet under the ground. Risking our lives for a Southsider is one thing, but for the whore that dumped you for that rich bast-"

His words were cut off as FP punched him hard in the face, slamming him against the wall. "Insult her one more time and you'll wish you'd never been born!", he growled as he grabbed his leather jacket with his left hand, ready to deliver one more blow with his right fist, his murderous eyes never diverting from Tall Boy's. The latter was astonished from the sudden impact but was about to strike back when Jughead and Sweet Pea intervened to seperate them. 

"Dad...", the young Jones turned to his father in bewilderment. FP didn't look at him, his stare fixated to the tall man opposing him. "Calm down, can't you see that he is provoking you on purpose?", he whispered, holding his arms to prevent him from charging again.

Tall Boy smirked. "See what I'm talking about?", he yelled. "See how he wasted no time attacking me when I only said the truth? He's putting his feelings for a woman before the safety of the Serpents. But as long as I'm wearing this jacket I'm not letting him endanger us! All those in favor?"

FP watched in horror as more and more members of the gang raised their hands hesitantly, first the eldest Serpents who knew his history with Alice and what happened that particular night, then the younger ones who had witnessed him multiple times passing out from alcohol with her name on his lips. The only Snakes who stood still and didn't support Tall Boy were, apart from his son, Toni Topaz, Sweet Pea, Fangs Forgarty and the ever loyal Hog Eye, as well as a few lucky others who didn't happen to ask for Penny's help in the past and weren't involved in her business.

Tall Boy sent him a smug smile, proud for his victory. By twisting the truth, he had successfully managed to terrify all those who were indebted to the Snake Charmer and made FP seem like an irresponsible, careless leader who only gave a damn about his Northsider ex-girlfriend. Who, by the way, betrayed her own.

His only hope for helping Alice was dashed. 

He just couldn't take it. 

FP rushed out of the bar to the alley, emptying the contents of his stomach on the concrete ground, coughing as he tried to steady himself, leaning against the wall. 

"Dad... Are you ok?", his son's voice echoed in the empty passage as he ran to him.

"How could you do that, boy?", he sighed. "Penny is a Cobra. But mutilating her? It's a kind of thing you don't come back from, Jug".

"Yeah, like stuffing a teenager's body in a freezer", Jughead's defensive irony overshadowed his consoling instinct, realizing he took it too far though as his father grabbed him by the collar roughly. 

"Keep your damn mouth shut! Don't you see what is going on here?"

"I could see this happening long ago, that's why I did what I did. To prevent her from coming back", Jughead replied with firmness.

"Well you think you're a hero, Jug? Cutting up women? You miscalculated here and now... other people are paying for your mistakes", tears started forming into FP's eyes.

"Your mistress, you mean?", Jughead stated matter-of-factly.

"Shut it, boy!", FP hissed.

"No, I won't. It's all about Mrs. Cooper, isn't it?"

"Jughead...", he sighed.

"Don't you dare lie to me, Dad. What I saw in there was you crossing the line to defend her, to rescue her from the Snake Charmer. Which brings up the question, how did you know about her deal in the first place?"

Damn his curiosity and observance. "I saw Alice driving to the warehouse. I confronted her and she admitted that Penny was blackmailing her. I tried to stop her but... stubborn as she is, she wouldn't let me help her... So I went to Penny and asked her to take her place. She refused. She wants to take over the Serpents and...", he buried his head in his hands.

"Why... why would you do that, though? Why would you risk your own head for your ex? After all this time? Unless..."

Unless Birdie was right and he never got over her.

"Because I love her, Jughead!", he yelled, letting it out of his chest. Jughead bit his lip at the use of the present tense and nodded in affirmation. "I would do anything to protect her. I don't care about what happens to me. But I can't betray the Serpents. And Penny knows that. I can't let the gang in her fangs. And if she comes back... do you have any idea what is she going to do to you?"

The boy stood next to his father, balancing against the wall as he close his eyes, guilt written all over his face. "...I fucked up, didn't I?"

"Hell you did! And it's not only Alice that is in danger here. Penny is ruthless, Jug. She will stop at nothing. She might get to Betty to hurt her... God, if anything happens to them..."

This was so messed up. Under no circumstances had he thought about risking Betty's well-being when he attacked Penny. And, seeing his father struggling to help his own paramour, the remorse he felt for his deed was too much to handle...

Jughead hated to admit it, but he had never seen his father in such a vulnerable state, torn between his feelings for Alice Cooper and his devotion to the Serpents...

And it was all his fault.

"What can I do to fix this?", he finally broke the silence.

FP's eyes widened. "No, no, no... you've already done more than enough, boy. Stay out of this"

"But I want to help. Mrs. Cooper is in danger because of me. The Serpents are falling apart because of me. Betty might be... God, just let me help, Dad".

"Go home, Jug. Leave it to me. I'll find a way..."

Jughead sighed. "Fine. But you're coming with me. I'm not leaving you here like this. Besides, Mum and Jellybean are probably worried that we're not back home yet. It's past midnight"

"I don't need a babysitter. I'm fine".

"Have it your way then", he glared at his father one last time before leaving. "Give my regards to Mrs. Cooper".

"I'm not seeing her", FP clarified. It wasn't a complete lie, they had decided to break off the affair, after all. "She's married. I'm married. There's nothing going on between us".

"No. But you wish there was and that's all the same", Jughead remarked bitterly as he walked away from the alley, quite glad that he was alone now. He needed a moment by himself to gather his thoughts, contemplate on the sudden revelations of what some twisted fate held for them...

No, it wasn't the possibility of being kicked out of the gang that bothered him, he broke the Serpent law and had to face the consequences. It wasn't his father's love for another woman either that upset him, though it stinged to know that it was his ex-girlfriend's mother who had his heart. 

No, paradoxically he wasn't angry at him. He was angry at himself instead who managed to disturb the peace in two families, threaten his father's authority in the Serpents, possibly put the girl he loved in serious trouble and, the irony of it, all for nothing.

All for nothing...

Penny was still out there, more dangerous than ever. And the fact that she didn't come to him first scared him to death. That bitch was up to something. Maybe she was saving him for last, making him watch as she destroyed everyone he loved one by one before giving him the deathblow...

He couldn't let that happen.

Instinctively he dialed Betty's number only to stop abruptly before calling her. That wouldn't be wise. Knowing her, she would stop at nothing to protect her mother and him and the last thing he wanted was to drag her directly into this.

But there might be another way to help his father and the Serpents. Jughead smirked as his fingers typed vigorously the text message, exhaling in anticipation as he pressed the "send" button. The positive reply came almost instantly, giving him hope that at least for once he made the right decision and that things might actually change for the better...

Almost 70 hours left. But nothing was set in stone yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's a new one! :) I've been under a lot of pressure recently and couldn't update any sooner but I'm dead set on continuing this fic so I will keep on updating, even if it takes a while :)
> 
> The other reason for the delay was that I somewhat diverted from the initial plan of the story which was intended to be much shorter. I hope that you'll enjoy this chapter and the arcs that will follow!
> 
> Again, thank you very much for your support and patience! :)
> 
> P.S. 1: I'm more than ecstatic that Falice is becoming canon! The hand-holding scene was too cute to handle! And I might be writing an one-shot based on 2x13 ^_^
> 
> P.S. 2: I know that Alice doesn't appear in this chapter but the next one will be all about her! ;)


	8. Under the skin

Alice opened the front door as soundlessly as she could, hoping that Hal and Betty hadn't bothered waiting for her and were asleep by now. It was past midnight and there was no adequate excuse for her wandering around the haunting town. Besides, Hal was already wary of her and the last thing she wanted was another fight on whether she cheated on him or not...

She actually didn't know which was the worst thing she could tell him; that she met FP tonight or that she's delivering drugs again? Hurt his ego or his image? She perished those thoughts, though, she had to find a decent lie to feed her husband and daughter. 

Damn, she hated herself right now...

She stepped into the dark living room, dim lit only by the remaining flames in the fireplace. Alice sighed, thank God everyone was in their bed and she could always say that she returned much earlier...

"Mom", her daughter's voice startled her as the lamb was turned on, lighting up the space. "Where were you?"

"Betty...", she sent her a half-smile, trying to think on her feet, "I was at the Register", she remembered that Hal would leave the office at 8 pm on weekdays, "had this epiphany regarding the article I'm working on and went to finish it..."

The girl raised her eyebrow. "Which article?"

"About the Black Hood", Alice had the reply ready, "it's not a secret that the case isn't closed yet".

Betty nodded as she got up from the armchair, her hands turning into fists. "Mom... there's... There's something I need to tell you..."

Alice looked at the girl suspiciously. Sadness was evident all over her daughter's face and for a second all possible worst case scenarios crossed her mind. Did Penny get to her too? Did she learn about the delivery? Did the Black Hood approach her again? "What is it, honey?", she finally asked, her voice shaking.

"It's just that...", Betty paused. "You and dad... how are you, I mean, are you fine?"

What kind of question was this? "Yeah... we may have some... moments", the worst understatement for their fights, "but we are fine. Why? Something wrong?"

"No... it's...", she looked away. "Nevermind..."

Alice walked to her and put her closed fists in her own hands, caressing them. "Elizabeth, what's going on? You know you can tell me anything. Whatever it is. So what is it?"

"Mom.... Dad's..."

Cheating on you with Penelope Blossom, according to what Cheryl confessed to her this morning in a strange moment of honesty.

"Is your father alright? Where is he?"

"He... he hasn't returned home yet and with everything that's been going on I'm... worried...". Betty lowered her eyes. She was never good at lying but she had to try. Her mother was obviously unaware of her husband's adultery and she was torn between breaking her heart by telling her those news and opening her eyes to the harsh reality.

It wasn't the right time now. Maybe she should confront her father first, give him a chance to make things right, she thought. The Coopers were already torn apart after Polly left to that cult farm or whatever was that and Betty had to keep the family together for as long as she could.

"Don't worry, love", Alice responded sweetly, "he will be fine. He's probably making his own research for the article". It was indeed suspicious that Hal was out so late at night but she weren't one to talk.  
Besides, if she said that she cared at all, it would be a lie. She had much more important things to consider right now.

The sound of a phone beeping disturbed the women as Alice checked her messages, shock flashing through her blue orbs. 

"Who is it? Is it dad?", Betty asked in anticipation, looking at the clock on the wall above the fireplace.

Alice bit her lip. "Yes, he's on his way home", she forced a smile as she typed a quick response. "I'll take a shower, you may as well go to sleep. It's late and you have school tomorrow". 

Betty rolled her eyes and walked upstairs. "Night Mom".

"Night sweetheart", the reply sounded almost automated as the second the younger Cooper disappeared from the room, Alice sighed in confusion, sitting on the armchair not to collapse by her panic, her head burning from anxiety.

Something was wrong. Something was definitely wrong. And, while she was glad that Hal wasn't at home and she got away with returning late, her heart almost stopped the second the message appeared on her screen. It was a desperate cry from the least expected person and, judging by that day's events, a surprisingly predictable outcome, if her assumptions were unfortunately proven to be true...

"Please meet me tomorrow at 2 p.m. at Pop's. I need to talk to you. It's urgent - Jughead"

She hoped that FP didn't go on his quest to keep the promise he once gave her, though she knew him better than that. He could risk his life for her. And it wouldn't be the first time.

But it was different now. She wouldn't let him do this again. At least not alone.  
__________________________________

"I know about your deal with Penny".

"What?", Alice almost choked on her coffee, "Why would FP tell you that?"

"Not just me. He asked the help of the Serpents, since she didn't agree on him taking your place", Jughead's voice was annoyingly calm and collected. 

"He did what?!". She knew it. She knew he would do something crazy like this. "God... stupid man...", Alice grabbed her phone from her purse but Jughead stopped her. 

"No, don't call him. He doesn't know I'm telling you this. He wouldn't want to...", his eyes darkened.

She immediately noticed the coldness in his expression. "What's going on, Jughead?"

"The Snake Charmer is blackmailing my dad. She threatens to harm you if he doesn't give her the gang. He has until tomorrow night to make his decision...", he looked at his hands, sighing. "It's all my fault. I'm so sorry, Mrs. Cooper..."

Why would he say that? "It has nothing to do with you. Penny blackmailed me into doing the delivery and your father... It is my fault. I'm the one who is sorry".

"No, you don't understand. Penny is using you to get to my dad... to me... for what I did to her..."

"What... what did you do?", she asked, feeling that she would regret it soon.

"I... I carved the tattoo off her skin...", he couldn't even look at Alice, who just stared at him with her jaw open, dumbfound that a 16 year old boy would go to such lengths. "I know I shouldn't have done it...", tears run to his cheeks and he lowered his face into his palms. "Because of me you and my dad... and the Serpents..."

"What... For the love of God, Jughead, you broke the law... you have no idea what happens to those who betray the Serpents, trust me...". Realization hit her. "FP... If he surrenders the gang... oh my God..."

"They will get him... But we both know that he will choose you", his tone was less accusative and more conscientious and Alice realized that the boy knew much more than he let on.

"Jughead... there must be a way...", she tried to divert the topic.

"There isn't", he stated flatly. "The Serpents refuse to go against Penny for a Northsider... you have quite the bad reputation in the South and, to tell you the truth, they have a point there..."

"I'm not surprised...", Alice bit her lip. Of course they would refuse. They had every right to be bitter. For 25 years straight she kept attacking the gang through her articles, as if they weren't a part of her past.

As if she didn't have their insignia forever printed on her body, that daily reminder that a Serpent never sheds its skin...

A dangerous idea came to her and her eyes lit with a glimpse of hope, her heart flattering at the chance to get FP out of this mess.

Jughead eyed her smile. "What?"

She smirked confidently. "Don't lose hope yet. There's one thing that bitch hasn't considered..."

"And what is it?"

Alice was too lost in her plan to reply. She got up instead and left a ten dollar bill on the table, putting on her coat in a hurry. "Thank you, Jughead. And don't worry. I won't let your father risk his head for me".

"How... how will you do that?", he was even more puzzled now.

"Just promise me you won't tell Betty any of this. I don't want to expose her to danger too". She hoped he hadn't done that already, otherwise her daughter would never let it go.

"I don't intend to. But I'm afraid that Penny will do anything to hurt us...". He hesitated for a second, looking into her eyes. "She has threatened to harm Betty in the past..."

Alice froze. No. Not Betty. "When did this happen?". She had to take action sooner than she thought, it seemed. Of course she would do anything for FP, but even the slightest possibility of her daughter being hurt erased any qualms she might have had.

"Long ago. That's why I did some deliveries for her too. And now I see my dad doing the same thing to protect you for that same reason..."

"Jughead...", she closed her eyes.

"Don't break his heart again, Mrs. Cooper". A request. A wish. A proof that his father's suffering actually mattered...

"I'm afraid that I cannot guarantee that. Sometimes... sometimes we do things that we don't want to do to protect those whom we...", love, "those whom we care about...". Jughead nodded, remembering asking Betty to leave to keep her safe. "And, as much as it hurts us, we have to be strong... One of us has to be strong...", she tried to fight the urge to burst into tears in front of the already scared boy. "I have to go. Please don't let him make any rush moves... and leave the rest to me...".

"I won't. Thank you for trying, though. For not giving up on him", his pessimistic nature didn't expect much, but at least he appreciated her wanting to help his father.

And, as much as it hurt to have his suspicions confirmed, she seemed to love him too.

"Don't thank me, Jughead", she said behind her shoulder. "We take care of our own".

And just like this, Alice Cooper left the diner, heading home to lock herself in her bedroom so that she would uncover her long lost identity undisturbed. Searching through numerous pastel pinks and baby blues in her closet, pencil skirts and deceitful cardigans, her hands reached for the hint of black leather buried underneath her Northside facade, putting it on to realize that it fit her perfectly, as if she had never taken it off.

25 years had passed and it still smelled of his cologne and cheap whiskey... And suddenly she was 17 again, roaming through the streets of Riverdale on the back of his motorcycle, her arms around him, leaning against him, her own refuge, pillar, protection... She was 17 again, hiding from the police inside the old sewer pipes, spending the night counting the stars as they shared his last cigarette singing their dreams into the wilderness of the night. She was 17 again, swearing that she would never leave him, that they would always be together, one body, one soul...

She failed to keep that promise and turned her back on him. But now she was given a second change to make things right. And she would dare risk everything she'd been building for years if it meant that, even for a single night, she would stand by his side...

And that very moment Alice thought that she saw her reflection in the mirror smiling, the reflection of what she had always been under her skin.

"Nice to see you again, Princess...", she whispered to her true self, feeling more powerful than ever.  
_________________________________

24 hours left. Time was running out.

Ironically, FP found the Whyte Wyrm the perfect place to escape his thoughts, losing his mind again in a bottle of amber liquid. It was either this or facing Glady's constant murmurs and nagging...

It wasn't her fault this time, though. She had every right to be mad at him. And JB, too. He was so glad that he got to see his daughter again after all these years and Penny just had to destroy this...

"They are going to kill you", a voice snapped him out of his miserable visions into reality, putting him into a loophole of even worse images painted with blood.

"I know... Serpents are ruthless with the traitors... especially the leaders", he sighed, drinking more of his whiskey in a single sip.

"Slow down man... you won't be able to think clearly if you keep like this...", Hog Eye was willing to lose a few dollars of cash to make sure his friend would stay strong and, most importantly, alive.

"I can't betray the Serpents, Hog. But I can't leave Alice in her fangs. She needs me".

"Hmmm... I doubt it. Look behind you... Speaking of the devil...", the bartender smiled as everyone in the room turned their heads towards the entrance, eyes widening in silence as Alice paraded into the bar in her Serpent jacket, walking to her man while swaying her hips slightly with a mischievous grin on her lips.

FP lost it. He stared at her mesmerized as she came closer to sit next to him, waving at Hog Eye in enthusiasm. "What the hell are you doing here?", FP breathed against her ear, his voice a mixture of worry, confusion and, undoubtedly, desire.

"Jughead told me everything. But I'm getting you out of this predicament", Alice replied as softly, "don't worry".

"What are you talking about? And you can't wear this jacket here, Alice. You are not a Serpent anymore...", he couldn't allow it, even if she was a sight for sore eyes in her black leather.

"Why is that Northsider desecrating our emblem?", a yell belonging to no other than Tall Boy interrupted him as he approached the couple along with some other fanatic Serpents, surrounding it.

"Well, it's good to see that you've expanded your limited vocabulary, Boy", Alice folded her arms as he hovered above her, not even the least intimidated by him.

"Always high-and-mighty, Princess. I don't know how things work in your castle up North but here is Serpent land. And since you've abandoned that place and title long ago you're not worthy of bearing our insignia. So take that jacket off before we forget that you are our leader's little girl and treat you the way we deal with traitors..."

"Have you forgotten that snakes don't shed their skin so easily?", she nonchalantly recited the words FP told her the day of his son's birthday party, when they met again after so many years, looking at him to find that, behind his angry demeanor, FP felt proud of her.

"Don't make me lose my patience. Take it off and get the hell out of this bar or you'll regret it", he growled while she just scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Please, Alice, take it off", FP intervened. He hated to take Tall Boy's side but he was right here. She was provoking them with her attitude and made the situation even worse for him.

Alice smirked. "Oh, I will, baby, all in good time". She then turned to the bar and nodded at Hog Eye who offered her three shots of tequila quite amused at his old friend's antics. "You know what you have to do", she mouthed at him, who winked at her in response, and casually swallowed the shots ignoring the murderous glares from the rest of the Serpents, wishing that alcohol would give her the courage and strength she needed to go through this night.

FP sighed at her carelessness and stood up, raised her from the chair and lifted her on his shoulder with one swift motion. She pointlessly tried to escape his grip as he carried her to a secluded corner of the bar, putting her down only after he was sure she wouldn't go away. Alice sent him a dirty look and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I see... you brought me here to take my jacket off yourself..."

FP tried to ignore the sudden change of climate between them. "What is this about, Alice? You're only making things worse with what you're doing, don't you get it?", he hissed. "Jughead told you that they refused to help you so you came here to mock them? Or what?"

"I came here because I belong here. I'm not letting you face Penny alone. We're in this together", she raised her hand to caress his cheek but he stopped her.

"No. We aren't", he proclaimed with a stern look. "Now please go home and let me handle this".

"No, FP, I'm not some kind of damsel in distress. I'm very much capable of handling things myself, so I'm making sure you won't choose to protect me instead of the Serpents and put yourself in danger to save my ass again".

Only then FP realized what she was planning to do. "Don't you fucking dare..."

"Actually, I don't need your permission, so spare the threats", she crossed her arms as sapphire met black. Of course he wouldn't be thrilled about the idea. But she didn't care. It was the only way.

"If... if you do this, Alice, forget about me", his last, desperate shot begging her not to act on her plan. 

"At this point I don't care about our relationship, Forsythe. I care about keeping you and my daughter safe. And if I have to sacrifice our love for this, let it be fucking damned", she emphasized the last sentence as she looked fiercely into his enraged eyes until FP finally nodded, sighing as he let her go. 

Alice quickly merged into the crowd, not giving him the chance to follow her and stop her. She then signaled at Hog Eye to prepare the ground and took a deep breath before making her way onto the stage as the familiar rock music changed abruptly. Melodic bass beats suddenly filled the air, along with whistles and cheers and FP turned to the now lit up stage to see his worst nightmare unravel before his eyes; Alice standing determinedly in the very center and about to do once again the one thing she shouldn't.

The Serpent Dance.

Her suggestive gaze found his cold stare as she started taking off her jacket slowly and finally letting it fall gracefully on the stage, while FP made his way to the bar in absolute need for a drink, his head and heart and stomach aching at the sight. Hog Eye had it already prepared and he almost took it down at once, watching Alice behind his glass unbutton her shirt gently, never taking her eyes off him...

He still couldn't believe it. That impossible woman... He had tried everything in his hand to keep her out of this, to protect her from his world and she just had to ruin everything he fought for. And the irony of it all? He was the one responsible for this. She did it to save him, him who got into this mess to save her in the first place. Deja vú all over again, a damn destiny that connected them in twisted ways, wrapping them around one another like snakes. But it didn't matter anymore. Not at all. The worst thing that could happen was just taking place in this damn bar, right in front of him...

She sent him a devilish smile, as if she could read his thoughts, and all he knew then was that he needed her to get off that stage right now as her dance's effects on his body became more and more dangerous. He wanted her badly. And if it weren't for that damn rule that forbade any kind of interruptions during an initiation, he would have stopped the dance and taken her right there, damn the consequences. Her seductive movements, the intense eye contact she maintained with him as she tossed aside the last piece of cloth she was wearing, staying only in her undergarments, her glorious snake tattoo now visible on her waist, exposed for everyone to see were distracting him from his painful thoughts. But taking a look at his surroundings, seeing how marveled his fellow Serpents were by her performance, those hypocrites that refused to help her last night, he didn't even want to imagine what crossed their minds. The mere thought was making him sick. Even if he didn't have the right to be jealous. They weren't together. She could do whatever she wanted...

But he couldn't handle it. Just the idea of all those horny bastards laying their eyes on her body, that body that so many nights belonged to him and only him drove him insane to destructive levels...

FP put his glass down on the bar violently, almost breaking it, and stood up to go up there, grab her and give an end to this scheme when a hand on his arm stopped him.

"Dad... you can't", his son's condescending tone brought him back to reality, reminding him of the Serpent rule as he sat down again on his chair without leaving her out of his line of sight, not even for a second.

"Was this your idea?", he only managed to ask, his voice heavy from whiskey and disdain.

"Of course not! I would never do that to you! But I had to tell her... I'm sorry, dad... I had to...".

Jughead realized that his father hadn't heard a word that he said. Lost in his own torment, obligated to withstand watching the woman he loved dancing in her black, lacy underwear and sacrificing her life to join the gang for the second time, FP was unable of thinking of anything else. And the boy couldn't blame him. He saw right through his pain, a pain he had experienced first hand when said woman's daughter performed the same dance and went to the same extremes for him. Looking at him the same way that Alice stared at his father, the pure desire in her azure eyes igniting a fire that could never be extinguished...

No, he couldn't blame his dad for loving her. He just couldn't.  
__________________________________

He hated it. Alice was certain of that. She could feel it, feel his eyes burning her, full of wrath and hurt as she spinned around the pole, sultrily moving her body to the slow rhythm of the song. She was trying to ignore the ecstatic reactions of the men who whistled at her and concentrated on FP. It made it so much easier. In her mind, she was doing this for him, dancing only for him, undressing only for him... 

She was his. And she wanted him to know that. Know that she could do anything for him, even if that meant stripping in front of the whole damn world. She didn't mind. No matter how embarrassing it was, no matter how jealous or angry he might be at her, she had to keep a straight face and perform as she should. The dirtier the dance, the more satisfied the Serpents would be. She wanted them to accept her, wanted their support now so that they would protect her and FP in their time of need. 

As for him... well, she knew that she risked losing him for good. Alice remembered how mad he got when her 16-year-old self danced for her first initiation, exchanging her innocence and pride for being a part of his world, a world of crime and danger. But she didn't care. She loved him back then and still loved him. And even if he broke up with her again, even if he refused to forgive her, she wouldn't back down...

The final notes of the song were played as she finished her dance, laying sensually on the stage floor, closing her eyes. 'It's over', she kept repeating in her mind, feeling dizzier every passing second. From the tension? From the embarrassment? From the alcohol? She didn't know why, but she could sense her body being weaker than ever now, fully paralyzed. The will to get up, to act on her new identity was lost over the white noise of the delightful men who applauded her, shouting that "the Snake Princess was back". 'It's over...', she whispered to herself, as if the confirmation would make her feel somewhat better.

FP immediately rushed to her side, kneeling on the wooden surface as he lifted her waist and took off his Serpent jacket to wrap it around her slim frame, bringing it closer to his own. Alice, on the verge of tears, couldn't even look at the man, her face hanging low, expecting the worst...

He grabbed her chin, caressing it as he made her meet his eyes, staring deeply into her blue orbs. "Why did you do it, Alice?", he asked her softly. Paradoxically, his tone wasn't angry, no. It was worried. Disappointed. She felt like an immature little girl berated by her parent. "Why didn't you just leave me deal with it alone, dammit?".

She traced his jawline with her delicate fingers. "I'm not leaving you", she sobbed. "I'm not leaving you, FP. I did it once, I'm not going to do it again. I don't care if you hate me, I don't care if you don't want to have anything to do with me but I'm not leaving you alone...".

"Are you out of your mind?", he yelled, pressing his forehead against hers. "How... how could I hate you? I love you. I love you so fucking much it hurts... How could I hate you for risking everything for me? You didn't have to... you didn't have to do this for me, Alice...".

"Shh... don't you ever say that again. We are in this together. In unity there is strength", she recited the sixth law, the final part of her becoming once again a fully-fledged Serpent.

FP smiled and captured her lips in a wild, possessive kiss, time stopping as he urgently claimed her his with such a passionate, raw force that almost left her breathless, only pulling back when their bruised lips parted in desperate need of air. "In unity there is strength", he repeated louder, giving the cue to the astonished Serpents who witnessed the scene to follow suit.

"In unity there is strength!", everyone in the bar screamed, officially accepting the former Princess back in the gang.

He finally turned to his son, meeting his stare from the other side of the room as the boy smirked at him, nodding in approval. FP let out a sigh of relief, glad that for once Jughead was on his side and supported his relationship with Alice. Whatever that was. And no matter how it would complicate things between them. All of them...

Alice noticed the boy's reaction, too, and smiled at FP, her eyes growing darker as she realized that, sooner or later, she would have to come clean to her daughter too. About everything. And, unfortunately, she had a feeling that unlike Jughead, Betty wouldn't be so understanding...  
_________________________________

The younger Jones watched the couple from afar, surprised at himself for giving them his blessing. They were both still married, his mother and sister were still living with them and deep down, he was still in love with Betty. But what he saw there was two people who loved each other unconditionally and were willing to risk everything to save one another. And Jughead just couldn't bring himself to get between them. He wasn't that kind of person. And seeing his father this happy for the first time in his life was enough for him to not feel any guilt or remorse.

Besides, it all turned out well. Alice joining the gang again would keep Penny at bay, at least for a while. Now the Serpents would be obligated to protect her and FP wouldn't have to chose between the two of them and potentially put his life at stake. Jughead smiled, he knew that he could trust Alice and was happy that he played his part in this too, getting one step closer to his own redemption.

He turned to leave the Whyte Wyrm, when suddenly he spotted Tall Boy storming out of the bar in a huff. Jughead followed him cautiously in the alley to discover that he was talking on his phone. Noiselessly, he slid against the wall, trying to eavesdrop on the conversation, only to stop dead in his tracks when he heard Tall Boy's low, furious voice warning the person on the other side of the line before hanging up...

"Change of plans. You must leave the town immediately".

For some reason Jughead felt the noose tighten around them as chills run down his spine, realizing that the Serpents possibly nurtured a real, poisonous snake in their bosom. Because if there was one thing he was sure of, it was that Tall Boy was clearly up to no good...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here it is! Alice joining the Serpents again! Basically what I would love to see on the show! :)
> 
> I really hope that you'll enjoy this chapter! It turned out longer than the others but I couldn't bring myself to cut it in half.
> 
> Thank you again for your support and lovely comments! :)
> 
> P.S. : It's fucking CANON! ♡


	9. Consequences

"I want you, FP...", Alice whispered between her breaths as he pinned her up against the wall of the cellar, the dark, secluded room backstage of the Whyte Wyrm that served them well 25 years ago, kissing and nibbling on her neck. "I want you right now". She needed to forget everything, to just lose herself in the moment, to be with the man every cell of her body craved and desired. Damn her dance, damn her marriage, damn the consequences...

FP took a step backwards and tried to regain his composure, smirking as he stared at the woman in front of him. God, the things he would do to her if they weren't married... His heart was pounding within his chest as the sensation of having her in his arms wearing nothing but her underwear and begging for his touch was driving him crazy. 

He wanted her, too. He needed her, he always needed her but now he did so more than ever. Yet they both had to stop the damn attraction that was about to consume them any minute now, that sinful, forbidden desire that clouded their reason and ignored whatever marital ties they had.

It literally took all of his strength to resist her. "We... we can't. We shouldn't. We're married..."

"That didn't stop you last time, though...", Alice whined. "Come on, I know you want this too...", she playfully pulled him closer to her again. "Aren't you gonna punish me for what I did?"

Oh, she knew how to rile him up, bringing up the one thing that enranged him. "Don't play with fire, Princess", he growled. "I'm trying to be reasonable here but I don't think I'll be able to keep up with this if you..."

"If I what?", she bit her lip as her hand moved between his legs to tempt him even more.

"Damn...", FP jerked at her touch. "No, Alice, no". He shoved her hand away and widened the distance between them before he'd lose control. "We can't. I don't feel ok with this... with Gladys and Jellybean at home..."

Alice inhaled loudly. "Wow... this whole act again?", she complained as she folded her arms in annoyance. "Isn't it a little late to feel guilt, Forsythe?"

He shook his head. "Perhaps. But look where what happened between us got us. If we are going to be together again, we have to do it the right way".

"Are we, though?", she half-whispered, feeling her heart aching at the sound of that two-letter word. That 'if'...

"What do you mean?"

She met his confused eyes. "Look, I'll come clean to Hal and Betty tonight. I'll ask for a divorce and no, I won't back down this time..."

She was rushing again. "Alice..."

"All I'm asking is whether you're willing to do the same for me. I know it's hard, I know that you care about your family but if you really want us to be together, FP..."

His hands were on her shoulders. "I do. I want this so much, baby..."

"Then prove it. Tonight. We come clean to our families and then... then we'll figure it out...". Simple, practical, go-getter. They needed a starting point in order to actually be in a relationship.

FP lowered his head. Damn, if Alice Cooper wanted something, she wanted it now and wouldn't stop until she finally got it. He had to knock some sense into her, though. "It's... It's not that easy, Alice. And you said that you understood the reasons why I stayed with Gladys. That you weren't mad at me..."

"Well, I am now", she remarked. "Don't you realize that we're making the same mistakes all over again? Are we going to end up with the wrong people again when it's obvious that we can't be apart? Are we going to give up on each other just because we don't have the guts to fight for our love? No, FP, I won't be a coward this time..."

He glared at her. "Are you saying that caring about my wife and children makes me a coward?"

"No. But it makes you a hypocrite".

"What the hell are you implying?", FP was starting to lose his patience with her.

"You were the one who kept asking me to leave Hal and now you won't do the same. Chickening out again, Jones?", she raised an eyebrow.

"Alice don't..."

She moved closer to him, her lips almost touching his. "You may or may not divorce her, that's your choice...", she whispered, her stare never averting from his own. "But we both know it's me that you love. It's me that you want, it's me that you cheated on her with...", she smirked, "and when you fuck her, FP, it's me that you'll be thinking of..."

With one swift movement he pushed her against the wall again with force, the impact from the hit causing her to moan softly. "I suggest you shut the hell up".

Alice smiled in victory. "Why, am I wrong? Won't you be thinking of me? Won't you wish that it'd be me und-"

He never let her finish her sentence. All remaining guilt and doubts he might have had vanished within a second as he attacked her lips, his rough hands grabbing her hips desperately as he finally surrendered to his heart and body's wishes. Their cries of passion soon echoed through the small room, distracting them both from whatever questions were left unanswered and would, inevitably, resurface as soon as reason reconquered their minds...  
__________________________________

It was so wrong. It always was.

But, damn, it felt so right. 

At least that was the excuse Alice kept repeating in her mind, chanting it like an old childhood song as she stepped out of her station wagon, closing the door behind her. It's not like she didn't feel guilt or that her conscience was forever silenced ever since she reconciled with FP, no. She really felt bad for cheating on Hal. He didn't deserve it.

Yet the heart wants what it wants.

What was the use of staying with him when her heart, her soul, her body belonged to someone else? Especially now that she embraced that long lost part of her identity, now that she finally accepted who she really was and planned on devoting herself to the Southside, her real home, everything that revolved around Hal and that perfect Stepford wife model she used to be suddenly felt so foreign, so strange...

As if it never happened at all. As if time stopped when she broke up with FP back then, freezing for eternity until the moment she found herself in his arms again.

Alice unlocked the front door of her house with trembling hands, noticing that her Serpent attire completely contradicted the beautiful white fences that surrounded the building. The sense of suffocation overtook her at the thought that even in her beloved leather jacket, she didn't feel liberated from that part of her life.

And, as long as she didn't cut the ties with it, she could never be.

She took a deep breath before entering the house, fully aware that her husband and daughter would be awake, waiting for her impatiently. Her suspicions were proven correct as they both rushed towards her, freezing at their steps at her obnoxious and highly inappropriate appearance.

"Mom... is that a...", Betty's shocked eyes scanned her mother's Southside outfit, stopping at the familiar jacket, its resemblance to her ex-boyfriend's one being undeniable.

Alice sent her a half-smile. "Yes, Betty. It is. I rejoined the Serpents". She met Hal's menacing stare, a stare that conveyed so many words and emotions. And, knowing him, he had every right to feel this way: angry and betrayed.

"Betty go to your room", Hal calmly ordered, his voice being oddly husky and deep. The girl was surprised to hear a tone like this coming from her father's throat, recalling that the one time he spoke in this way was when Polly told them that she was dating Jason Blossom.

Shit was about to go down.

"No", Betty folded her arms. "I want to know what's going on here, too. I want to know why my mother, of all people, decides to go back to a gang that she kept attacking all these years..."

Of course she would want to know. Of course she would insist in staying. Damn her curiosity. 

"Elizabeth, please. I'll explain everything to you tomorrow... please go to bed...", Alice cried, hoping that the blonde would show mercy.

But the girl had no such intention. "Explain to me what, Mom? That you've been coming home late at nights, throwing off pathetic excuses? That you suddenly rejoin the Serpents, the Serpents you repeatedly told me to stay away from? Did you happen to do the dance, too?", she crossed her arms as her trademark eyebrow furrowed at that possibility.

Alice's face hung in shame. "I did. Tonight". She couldn't even look at her husband now, whose hands grabbed his hair in despair. She should have expected that announcing her family that she performed a strip dance in a bar full of bikers, her ex included, wouldn't be the most pleasant experience for either parts.

Betty pouted, disappointment written all over her features. "Why, Mom? Why?"

"Because of him, right?", Hal finally spoke, emphasizing the pronoun, his question intending to be a rather accurate statement. He didn't need to specify who 'he' was. Alice surely knew. 

Their daughter didn't, though. Not that it kept her from putting two and two together. "Whoa, wait. Who is he? Is he the Southside guy you were in love with when you were young?"

Alice mentally cursed herself from opening up to her. "Betty..."

"You said you haven't met him again ever since you left the Serpents!"

"Did she tell you that?!", Hal scoffed before turning to Alice, "I'm just wondering, have you told her the whole truth?"

This wasn't going as she had it planned in her head. But she couldn't handle the irony. Not now. "Hal, stop this!"

"How long, Alice?"

There was no point in lying anymore. "Ever since that night".

Hal nodded, his eyes darkening at the confirmation. They both knew which night she was referring to.

Betty's stare darted between her parents as realization hit her, her sharp nails digging into her palms. "Mom... did you cheat on Dad?"

Alice swallowed thickly. She couldn't say it. The word wouldn't come out from her mouth. "I'm so sorry..."

"How... how could you do this?", she screamed. "And Dad... God, I'm sick of all the secrets and the lies in this family. I don't wanna see any of you right now..."

Hal winced at her words. "What do you mean, Betty? I did nothing wrong here. You mother is the one who sleeps around like some wh-"

Betty snapped. "Dad! Stop it! You're not one to talk either. I know about you and Penelope Blossom".

Hal's jaw dropped as Alice raised an eyebrow and nodded mockingly. "Guess I'm not the only one who's done with this marriage now, am I? How long, Hal?"

"Ever since that night, Alice. I knew that you cheated on me right from the start".

She rolled her eyes. "So you did this out of spite. I should have expected this..."

"No. This isn't about that. This is about how I worshipped you like a goddess for twenty years, we... we raised a family together and at the first chance that you get you sleep with another man?"

"Well if you call manipulating me and making me change my identity 'worshipping' now, then I-"

"Both of you, stop this!", Betty had enough of their bickering. "Stop blaming one another for your own mistakes! You're both at fault here! So why don't you just move past this and give a second chance to your marriage? Why don't you start over? Our family's been falling apart since Polly left. Please...", a single tear rolled down her cheek, "we must stay united. Just admit that sleeping with other people meant nothing to you and deep down you still care for each other..."

Poor Betty... Always positive, always willing to give another chance to the people she loves, dedicated to keep her family together at all costs.

But the damage done was far beyond repair. And Alice, even though she would give anything to see her daughter happy, wasn't going to stop now. Her and Hal were over and Betty would have to accept this.

"It's true that I still love and care about your father, Elizabeth", she took her daughter's hands in her own, looking deep in her turquoise eyes. "But I can't say that I regret what happened because I don't. I'm in love with this man. I can't help it. I've been trying to fight it but I can't. A lot of things occurred lately, things that despite how dangerous they were made me realize who I am. I'm a Serpent. I always was. And I'm done attacking and disavowing the Southside. It's where I'm from, and I should be proud of that. And from now on, I will be".

"So you want a divorce, Alice?", Hal asked her, clearly wanting to be over with the conversation.

She couldn't blame him.

"Yes", she nodded. "I don't see the point of us staying married anymore. And, to tell you the truth, I should have asked for it long ago..."

Betty withdrew her hands from her mother's, putting them on her waist. "Who is he?", she demanded. "Who is the man for whom you are willing to give up on your family?"

"Betty, it's not like this...", Alice sighed, closing her eyes.

"Just answer the damn question, Mom".

"FP Jones", Hal replied for her, spitting his name as if it were acid.

A deafening silence fell between them. In the seconds that followed Alice felt her breath catching in her throat as she watched her daughter's face turn into ice.

"You have to be kidding me...", Betty's low tone sounded almost dangerous when she searched her mother's eyes for the tiniest hint that it wasn't true...

She never found it.

Alice knew that she messed up, her fear of Betty not accepting her relationship with FP unfortunately coming true. "Betty..."

"Out of all men in Riverdale you went to sleep with Jughead's dad? Mom... do you even care about me at this point?"

Alice could almost hear her heart shattering, that one question being enough to regret sleeping with FP in the first place. "Of course I do, Betty, but this is none of your concern. After all, you and Jughead broke up, right?"

"That doesn't mean I stopped loving him!", Betty spat. "And you seem to know damn well how strong first loves are..."

A hit below the belt, dipped in poison. But she couldn't expect less from her. Like mother, like daughter.

"Betty, please... if you let me explain..."

"I don't wanna hear it, Mom!", the girl hissed. "I don't wanna hear any more lies! And that applies to both of you". She looked at her parents once again. "Now I see why Polly chose to stay away from here...". She put on her coat and grabbed her phone and keys from the table in haste, rushing towards the front entrance.

"Where do you think you are going, young lady?", Alice yelled behind her, checking the time on the clock. "It's 2 a.m.!"

"At Pop's", Betty responded as she opened the door. "Anywhere away from here..."

"Elizabeth...". Her plea met the loud bang of the door. 

Alice couldn't take it anymore. She collapsed on the nearest armchair, breaking down in tears. She could feel them burning her eyes and palms as she sobbed uncontrollably all of her pain and fears away, not giving a damn that her husband was sitting still on the couch opposite her, watching her quietly.

She really couldn't care less about Hal's opinion of her at this point.

A few minutes later she managed to collect herself, inhaling and exhaling to calm her breathing as she wiped her tears with the back of her hands, smudging her make-up in the process. She was surprised to see that he hadn't moved from his place, his intense stare stuck on her as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a napkin. Alice took it hesitantly and blew her nose, trying to stall as much time as she could before one of them broke the silence.

As if he could read her thoughts, Hal spoke first, his voice incredibly peaceful. "This is just the beginning..."

"Hal, please...". She knew irony when she saw it. 

"Every choice has its consequences, Alice. You always have to sacrifice something. Back then it was FP, now it's your family. I'm not going to judge you, or 'manipulate' you for that matter. But do you know what these decisions have in common?"

"What?", she softly asked.

"They're selfish. Believe me, the day you left FP for me I knew that you saw me only as a way out of the Southside and nothing more. I knew that you loved him more than me, I pretended not to hear your muffled cries at night when you thought I was asleep. I always feared that this day would come and, I admit, I selfishly tried to change you, to keep you mine..."

This was the first time in twenty years that her husband opened up to her. Alice could never imagine that he felt so insecure about their marriage. 

But then again, his pride never let him show it. "Hal..."

"I don't hate you, Alice. I know that this is who you are and it took me too long to accept that you were never truly happy with me. We both made our share of mistakes that led us to this very moment. But the problem with you is that you don't care about how your decisions will affect others. You don't care about Betty's relationship with Jughead or FP's marriage, just like you didn't care back then about his feelings for you. You asked for a divorce? You'll have it. But, mark my words, Alice, it won't be long until that little fairytale you've constructed within your mind will vanish and you'll have to face reality".

She didn't want to admit it but he had a point. Regarding her past choices, at least. For this time Alice put someone else before her own safety, dignity, pride. She pushed herself to her limit for the man she loved and she would gladly do it a thousand times over if necessary. 

Of course that would have never happened if she hadn't succumbed to her desires that fateful night. But even at the slightest chance that Betty or FP could be in danger because of the Snake Charmer she couldn't sit on her hands. She wouldn't reveal any of it to Hal, though. For all she knew he would go straight to the Sheriff and denounce the illegal activities in which the Southside Serpents were involved, making things worse for everyone.

"Do you think it's just an affair for me, Hal? An escapade? Because you're wrong", she stiffly said. "This is way beyond my feelings for him. And it seems that for as long as I have this imprinted on my skin", she raised her shirt, pointing at her tattoo, "I'll be tangled with him and the Serpents whether I like it or not".

If anything, she confused him even more.

Hal threw his hands up in frustration. "Do whatever you want. But you better keep our daughter out of this dangerous lifestyle or I swear to God", he warned her before leaving the room, "not even your precious gang will be able to save you from my wrath".

Alice chuckled for the first time that night. Little did he know that Betty was almost a Serpent since she did the final part of the female initiation. And, judging by her own loyalty to her Jones boy, she wouldn't stop associating with the gang any time soon.

She let her head fall back against the sit and closed her eyes in an attempt to relax, mildly wondering whether her lover had a similar conversation with his wife when he got home...

God, was she that selfish? Was she so inconsiderate of Gladys's and Jellybean's feelings, or even Jughead's? Sure, he might have approved her being with his father but that didn't mean that it didn't make his relationship with Betty any less awkward. Because even if the two of them broke up the night of FP's party, they were clearly still in love with each other...

As for Betty, Alice knew that the girl was more mad at her for cheating on her father and lying about it than for sleeping with her ex-boyfriend's father. But she had to make amends with her soon, apologize and explain the whole situation in hopes that she would appreciate her honesty and forgive her for destroying her family. It really hurt her that her daughter was so devastated because of her. If she knew that Betty would react this way, maybe she would have broken it off with FP right from the start...

Alice sighed. This was the reason why he was so reserved with revealing their affair to his family. He wasn't a coward, no. He was just being realistic. What if his daughter reacted like Betty or even worse? What if he chose his family in the end, even though he loved her?

Once again FP was pushing her away first so that she wouldn't be hurt. Same old tactic. But she loved him way too much to even think of losing him again. 

Not after what they went through with Penny. Not after rejoining the Serpents to protect him. No matter what would happen, she would fight tooth and nail for him. 

There was no turning back now. As her soon-to-be-ex husband said, this was just the beginning...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!
> 
> I know it's been a while since I last updated :) Falice became canon, there are a lot more fics out here -yeah!- and more people ship this once crack pair. 
> 
> I'm just so happy!!
> 
> I really apologize for the late update. I'm going through a quite stressful period but I managed to come back with a new chapter! As you see, we're taking a break from the Serpent action and we're focusing on what Riverdale is best known for: family drama! But don't worry, Penny's arc won't be over any time soon. The adventure has just began ;)
> 
> Thank you very much for your patience and all of your nice comments! ♡ I hope you liked this chapter, too! And, hopefully, the next one will be uploaded soon!
> 
> A. L.
> 
> P.S. 1: Bughead fans, I wasn't really planning on reconciling Betty and Jughead in this fic -tbh, I was shifting towards Jeronica, and yes, I ship it!- . BUT the fic is canon divergent, not complete AU, so I want to make it as close to canon as possible. In other words our little lovebirds will reunite in the next chapter!♡
> 
> P.S. 2: Hal fans (yeah, all ten of you!), one word for you: redemption :)
> 
> P.S. 3: Lodge fans, I haven't forgotten about you either ;)


	10. Rewriting history

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Spoiler for 2x19. Proceed at your own risk.

He was bitten by that snake again. The pain, the agony, the marks on his body were all there. The delicious venom he tasted on her lips, the forbidden, catastrophic feeling of loneliness when she left his arms...

She was intoxicating him, flowing through his veins like sweet poison. His love for her was irrational, against all odds, but the more he tried to stay away from her, to control his feelings, to save any sanity and dignity left in him, the more his heart denied any possible future without her. Hell, even destiny played its own part by bringing them together again...

What happened between them at the Whyte Wyrm confirmed exactly this. He knew that cheating on his wife again was immoral and wrong in so many ways but then again, it wasn't.

No, it wasn't. He loved her and she loved him. He wanted her and she wanted him. And, regardless of their marriages, he was hers and she was his.

FP was now determined to stop resisting it. Alice was right, they were making the same mistakes again by not fighting for their love. And he would be damned if he spent another 25 years without her, if he let her stay one more day with that husband of hers...

It took him another strong drink -the third one that night- and a lengthy, deep conversation with his loyal pal Hog Eye to actually find the courage and make that decision. But if Alice was willing to leave Hal for him, he should do the same. And, as the bartender put it, "if you didn't want to leave Gladys we wouldn't be having this talk".

He was right.

The Sunnyside was dark and quiet except from his own trailer. Judging from the movements of the shadows he barely distinguished through the window, Jughead had already returned and his worried mother was giving him his daily scolding for wandering around past midnight.

What he didn't expect was that he almost bumped into him as the moment he stepped into the trailer, Jughead was about to leave, putting on his Serpent jacket and searching for his keys in the process.

"Whoa, where are you going that late at night, son?", he looked at an annoyed Gladys, who was sitting on the couch, staring at them. "You wanna give your mother a heart attack?"

"Betty called...", the boy nervously dug in his pockets for his keys, stopping when he finally found them. "She's not feeling well..."

"Why? What happened?". He had a hunch though. Deep down he knew.

"Her parents had a huge fight... they are getting a divorce", Jughead stated casually but well aware that he was giving his father a valuable piece of information. "I have to be there for her, she needs me now..."

Alice did her part. He wasn't surprised, though. When she said something it was final.

There was no turning back now.

"It's ok, Jughead, go find her, just be careful...", Gladys stood up and crossed her arms as she walked towards them.

"I'll be at Pop's", he said and stood before his father who was blocking his path, completely lost in his thoughts. "Dad, seriously?", he whispered.

He moved to the side abruptly. "What is it?"

"I would check myself in a mirror if I were you", his son replied as he eyed his neck with disdain before storming off the trailer.

A snakebite. He had no excuse now. If anything, there was proof of his adultery.

He never blamed her, though. They always got carried away during their intimate moments, always leaving trails of bruises and bites on each other's bodies, undoubted reminders of their passionate escapades.

He was pretty sure her skin was in worse condition than his now. But, like him, she never complained.

"Ahh... the charm of the Cooper women... She has him whipped, doesn't she? But like father, like son...", Gladys nonchalantly remarked as she closed the door her offspring left wide open in his hurry.

FP raised an eyebrow, bracing himself for a long night of arguing. "What are you saying, Gladys?"

"Her divorce... quite convenient timing, to say the least. I'm just wondering if your late night adventures have anything to do with this or if it's just a coincidence...". Her tone seemed sweet and calm, but he knew better. She would explode any minute now.

"Gladys, listen..."

"You were with her, weren't you? Or it was another slut who left that mark on your neck?"

His hand instinctively reached to touch the swollen skin. "Gladys..."

"Who am I kidding, you never got over Alice...", her voice was breaking. "And here I am, trying to repair our ruined marriage like the fool I am..."

"Enough!", FP spat. He wasn't one for guilt games. "You were the one who left me and Jughead, you were the one who took my daughter away from me! It has nothing to do with her!"

"Oh, so you care now?". She sent him a menacing glare. "As you cared when you'd come home almost unconscious from drinking? As you cared when you'd spent the nights with your Serpent friends and left me alone after Fred Andrews fired you? And stop being such a hypocrite, you don't mind about your son either..."

How dare she? "What the fuck is that supposed to mean? I raised him, Gladys, I raised him alone..."

"To follow your steps and join your pathetic gang? Some job you did with him! He'll probably become an alcoholic as well, maybe he'll even end up in prison just like his father!"

"Or maybe he'll leave everything behind and won't give a damn about his family just like his mother!", he pointed his finger at her. 

"I left because YOU stopped trying!", she yelled. "YOU stopped trying to be a decent father, a decent husband, a decent person. I was sick and tired waiting for you to come home while you were out somewhere drinking your heart out because your long lost lover dumped you for the rich guy... I give her that though, she was smart enough to see that she wouldn't have a future with you". 

"Again, our marriage problems have nothing to do with her!"

"Oh they have, Forsythe. They have. I spent my life fighting a shadow, a ghost of your past. You started drinking because of her. You lost your will to live because of her. I was just the rebound. Not your wife. Not your lover. Just the mother of your children".

FP sighed. "That's so wrong, Gladys". He looked deep into her eyes. "I loved you. I really did".

"But not as much as you loved her", she wailed. "Do you think I didn't see the way you were looking at her the other day at Pop's? That I don't see how you react when someone mentions her? And now that she's getting a divorce I bet you won't miss the chance..."

"Alice is-", he tried to figure out a way to explain the situation to his wife. "-Alice is in danger! Because of me! Of course I'm worried about her. She joined the Serpents again and-"

"And what?", she asked, throwing her hands in the air. "You want to protect her now? Risk your life again, perhaps? You're not seventeen anymore, FP, you have children now! No, I won't let her drag you down to this hell. Or else..."

A threat hanging. "Or else what?"

"Or else I'm leaving this house for good. And, as far as I'm concerned, you're never going to see Jellybean again".

She crossed the line.

"You... you can't do this to me! Not again! I'm her father, I have every right to see her!", FP screamed in despair.

"And I have every right to protect my daughter from a fucked up criminal! You are not a responsible father, you never were. Look at your son. You made him just like you! Hell, you even have the same taste in women! But I'm serious here. Either you cut ties from her and the Serpents or you can forget us being a family again".

He paused for a moment and took a deep breath. "You know that I can't leave the Ser-"

"Oh, please...", she cut him off, "don't start now with the whole 'snakes never shed their skin' crap. A few weeks ago you were more than willing to leave them, to stop drinking, to move on. What changed?"

Everything. From taking over his son's deal with the Charmer to reuniting with the love of his life.

It was true, Gladys' return might have helped him move forward and free himself from all his past addictions and habits. But it seemed that the more time he remained in the gang, the more vulnerable he was to the two things that eased his pain but always put him in trouble; Alice and alcohol.

There hadn't been a single night that he didn't seek them both ever since that party at the Whyte Wyrm, and while he seldom met her, drinks were available anytime.

Penny was right, Alice would be the death of him. But he was a man of risks.

Gladys sighed, frustrated at his loss of words. "Come on, FP. Spare the bullshit. We both know the truth. This wasn't the first time you cheated on me with her, right?"

FP looked at her. It was now or never. "No. It started before you returned. Then we broke it off... until tonight. We are... We are together. She would talk to Hal... and I to you..."

His wife bit her lip and averted her eyes from him. "I knew it..."

"Gladys... I'm sorry-", he tried to reach her but she pushed him away.

"You lying bastard!", she yelled. "Was it so damn hard to admit it?"

He noticed the tears that started appearing at the corners of her eyes and for a second all he could feel was shame and regret. "Can you please let me explain-"

"What? That all these nights you are 'allegedly' trying to protect her? That you prefer spending time with her instead of your wife and daughter? Do you know that she is complaining because she never sees you? We've been here for, like, four days and you're either working, sleeping or out there drinking or fucking your mistress..."

"It's not that simple. You have no idea what's going on with the Serpents right now! My life is at risk! Hers too!". And Jughead's. But he couldn't tell her that. She was already too upset to handle this. 

"I don't give a shit about her or your gang! Or even you, at this point. I want a divorce. As for JB's custody let our lawyers speak". She turned to leave the room but he grabbed her arm, making her face him.

"You don't understand. It's more than this!"

She rolled her eyes, putting her arms on her waist. "Oh, enlighten me!"

FP froze for a moment. She could never understand. She would never want to understand. It was all in vain.

Her irony was too much, though. It wasn't her life that was on stake. She had every right to blame him and insult him, he fucked up and he deserved it. But under no circumstances would he let her doubt or underestimate everything that he's been through.

At the end of the day, he was trying to do the right thing, after all.

"You know what? Fuck it", he hissed. "I don't wanna be with you again either. I can't. I admit it, I've made many mistakes. You're right. I'm not a responsible father. I'm a criminal. I'm an alcoholic. I'm shit. I cheated on you. I'm not good enough for you or our kids. You deserve better. They deserve better. But that doesn't change the fact that you left me and Jughead when things went tough. That you didn't accept him when I was in prison for fear of disturbing your perfect life... You know what, Gladys? I've dreamed so many times that you'd come back. That our family would be together again. And now I realized that this isn't real. There's so much resentment between us that I cannot bear living with you for the sake of our kids, no. It's impossible. I'm done with you. And make damn well sure that I will fight for my parental right to see my daughter".

Gladys stood still, shock and hurt flashing through her eyes at her husband's confession. She was about to reply but decided against it, letting out a small, bitter laugh instead. "It's funny..."

FP was taken aback by her reaction. "What?"

"That if it weren't for Alice you would have given me a chance..."

The worst part was that she was telling the truth.

"You're right. I would", he said determinedly. "And I wanted to. I would have tried to work out things between us. But I'm in love with her. I always was. I'm sorry if this isn't what you wanted to hear but I'm done fighting it. I'm done lying".

Gladys nodded. "I'm calling Mary first thing in the morning. The sooner we're over with the paperwork, the better". She never let him respond as she ran to the bedroom, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

FP watched her silently, unable to fight the guilt that came with hurting the mother of his children. She came back only for him to reject her, but he had no other choice.

Their marriage was as over as it gets. 

A scream from the other side of the trailer snapped him out of his thoughts. "Oh my God... FP!!"

He rushed to her side immediately. "What is it?". The room felt somewhat empty and cold, and realization struck him as he looked at the wide open window. "Where is Jellybean?"

Gladys couldn't contain her tears anymore. "She's gone... She's gone, FP!"

The potential risk of their child's life clouded everything they had previously fought about and he took her in his arms, letting her cry on his shoulder. "Don't worry... we will find her...". Of course his actions would have a tremendous impact on his family but it seemed that his daughter took it too hard.

He could never escape the consequences. But he didn't care. All he knew was that he had to find Jellybean as soon as possible before something bad happened.  
__________________________________

"It's weird. It's really, really weird".

Jughead nervously stirred his strawberry milkshake, avoiding meeting the girl's intense glare. "Betty..."

"How long have you been hiding this from me?", she raised her eyebrow, pressing for an answer.

Long enough for her to be mad at him. "He kissed her after she did the dance. I thought it was..."

"What? Heat of the moment and such? Jeez, Jug, how come you're not angry at this?"

"Normally, I would have been", he admitted. "But with everything that's happening-"

"What the hell is going on?", Betty couldn't stay calm anymore. "My mom said something about being in danger, did you know about it and kept me in the dark?"

"Listen", he took a breath, "she asked me not to get you involved. And the truth is, the less you kn-"

"I want the damn truth!", she yelled without a care since, apart from Pop Tate, they were the only customers at the diner. "This... this is a nightmare! My parents cheat on one another, my mom leaves my dad for your dad and rejoins a gang and-"

"It's all my fault".

Betty flinched, looking at him with confusion. "What? Why woul-"

"I broke a code", he explained. "I messed up bad. Really bad. There's this person who suckered me into delivering drugs. And my dad, too, he got roped in. So, couple of Serpents and I, we found her, grabbed her, and I cut her..."

Betty watched him lower his head. "Cut her?", she dared ask.

Jughead didn't feel the need to elaborate. Just the thought of what he did that night and the aftermath of it made him sick at himself. "The worst part is, none of it even matters", he warily said. "'Cause she's back. It's like every decision I've made since we broke up, including our break up, just makes things worse and worse..."

His regret for breaking up with her melted her heart and she took his hand in hers tenderly. "Jug..."

"She wants revenge, Betty. I don't know how but she dragged Mrs. Cooper into the drug business too. And threatened her. Blackmailed my dad. Said that if he doesn't give her the Serpents she would hurt her..."

"Oh my God...". Betty couldn't believe in her ears. She could have never imagined that her mom would be in so much trouble. But it all made sense now. Her mysterious midnight shifts at the Register. Her joining the gang out of the blue. Her reuniting with FP. "And your dad can't betray the Serpents, right? He's their king..."

"No. He can't. But he would have done so to protect your mom. The Serpents were unwilling to support him on this. She's their enemy number one. Well, she was, until tonight. That's why she rejoined, to spare my dad from making a decision that would hurt them both"

"...this is too much!", she cried. "When did all this happen?"

"Past few days. Tomorrow Penny will come at the Whyte Wyrm to receive the final answer. But now your mother has back up. We're on her side".

"I want to be there, too".

There's no way he would let her. "Betty..."

"I want to see it with my own eyes. I want to see that woman. I want to see... them, together. I still don't get it..."

"He loves her. She loves him", he explained. "They risk their lives for one another. You may don't get it or like it but they feel that way ever since they were our age".

She tilted her head in confusion. "Are you taking their side now? I can't believe you, Jug! They are married! They have families! They have kids! For God's sake, we're..."

"We're what?", he looked in her eyes.

She avoided his stare, mentally cursing herself for that slip. "...nothing..."

"Betty...". His phone rang interrupting the tension. "Dad... Calm down, what happened?". He froze as he heard his father's worried plea. "What do you mean she's gone? ...We'll search for her, we're on our way. I'll call the Serpents".

"What's going on?", Betty asked him.

Jughead stood up and nodded for her to follow him. "Let's go. We have to find my sister".  
__________________________________

It took her half an hour of wandering around the dim lit streets of the Southside to realize that she was completely lost. The Chock lit' Shoppe was not supposed to be far from the trailer park, yet darkness tricked her and she took the wrong turns, all the more walking into the unknown...

But she couldn't spend another second in that trailer, eavesdropping on her parents' arguing and confessing their adulteries and long buried hatred for one another...

Jellybean sighed. She wouldn't cry now. She might have had a broken home to mourn for, two selfish parents to fight, a home wrecker that was to blame for everything but at least there was one person she could turn to for help: her brother. At least he cared about her...

Getting lost at 3 a.m. was just a minor inconvenience. She was stronger than this. It was just a matter of time before she found him.

"The Serpents...", she whispered as she recalled the territorial snake marks and graffiti on the streets she encountered not long ago. If she met them and told them whose daughter she was, they would help her locate Jughead for sure.

The sound of loud laughter took her by surprise and, as if by a miracle, Jellybean was thrilled to see three young men in leather jackets sitting at a bench, the fire from their cigarettes glowing in the dark.

She smiled and walked to them determinedly. "Excuse me..."

The tallest of them, a blond one, smirked. "Well, well, well... Isn't it past your bedtime, little girl?"

Jellybean tried her best not to scoff at his comment. "I'm looking for my brother, Jughead Jones, he is a Serpent too, could you please tell-"

"You're FP's daughter?!", the other blond, a shorter one with half-shaved hair asked as he almost dropped his colorful cigar.

The tallest's eyes widened with glee. "Our lucky day! Malachai will give us a tone of JJ for that baby Serpent..."

"Grab her!"

He stood up and with a swift movement grabbed the girl's arms, putting them behind her back as he brought her closer to them.

Jellybean tried to escape in vain. "Leave me!", she screamed.

"Leave her, Jack", said the third of the group, a brunette one.

"Awwww", the tall mocked him, "becoming softy now, Charles?"

"She's just a little girl. She's probably lost".

Jellybean looked in his deep blue eyes thankfully, then turned to the others. "Please, let me go. I need to find my brother".

The one with the shaved hair burst in laughter. "The Serpent Prince? The bastard who framed us during the race? Your family owes us, honey".

"Find other ways to get back at them. Leave the poor girl alone!", Charles yelled.

The blonds shared a look. "Is he always that sentimental?"

"Well, that family crap gets to him", Jack replied.

"Only when he's stoned". They laughed again.

Charles took the opportunity and punched Jack in the face, startling him as the latter, in shock and pain, released Jellybean from his grip. "Run!", the brunette yelled.

The girl immediately sprinted away from them, rushing for her life. "She's running away!", she could hear the other blond shouting as he chased after her through the dark streets. Jellybean's head start helped her put some distance between her and those men but her pursuer was gaining ground as time went by, approaching her dangerously.

She was almost out of breath, losing hope as she felt her body betraying her, slowing down from fatigue, when suddenly a motorcycle passed her at high speed, stopping abruptly in the middle of the road. Jellybean noticed the unmistakable Serpent insignia on the back of the rider's jacket as she took off her helmet to release her distinctive long pink hair. 

She smiled at the girl. "Need a ride?"  
___________________________________

"All's well that end's well", Betty happily said, trying to ease the atmosphere between Toni and Jughead as they entered FP's private office upstairs of the Whyte Wyrm, a few minutes after said leader came to retrieve his daughter.

Jughead collapsed on the old couch with a sigh. "For now. It's just the calm before the storm..."

"Guys, not to intrude or anything", Toni closed the door behind her, "but is everything ok at home? The girl could have been in serious danger. Who knows what those Ghoulies would have done to her if I hadn't arrived on time..."

"Thank you again, Toni. She wouldn't have escaped without you", he stated as Betty nodded in agreement.

"No Serpent stands alone, Jughead. I don't want you to thank me. I want you to take care of your sister. She wouldn't tell me what was bothering her but she was a mess..."

"Apparently, our parents are getting a divorce". He had a little chat with his sister before his father arrived at the bar and she told him all about their fight and his affair.

No wonder why the poor girl left the trailer so distraught.

Betty sat next to him and leaned on his shoulder for comfort while Toni folded her arms. "I see... it's all about the Princess, isn't it?", she said as she eyed the blonde who raised an eyebrow in return.

"Wish I could say the opposite...", Jughead confirmed, "but I don't blame her. Or him. Or my mom. It's just... I can't explain that to Jellybean. I can't tell her about Penny or the drug deliveries..."

"She's a smart girl, Juggy, she can take it. She needs to know or else she'll never understand...". Topaz then saw Betty tugging closer to Jughead while he remained silent, lost in his train of thoughts. "I'll leave you two in peace", she smiled and turned to leave the room.

"Thanks Toni. For everything", she heard his soft voice and sent him a last smirk as she closed the door.

For a moment they both stayed in silence. Betty then turned to Jughead, meeting his eyes as she caressed his arm. "Jug... Everything will be alright. We're in this together..."

Jughead didn't miss her emphasis on the last word. "Look", he began, "I'll be apologizing for it for the rest of my life, but I'm sorry", he confessed, finally letting his thoughts out of his chest. "I am. Feeling like I needed to shield you from what I was going through with the Serpents or the truth or my darkness..."

Betty smiled. "I can handle it".

"I know", he said with pride. "I know you can".

She nodded. "I should probably start heading home..."

"Or you could stay". He gazed at her longingly as he touched her hand. "Stay", he desperately repeated, his heart wishing for it with all its might...

And she did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone!! <3
> 
> Here's the monthly update -sorry guys, it's the best I can do!-. It was one of my favorite chapters to write and actually, FP and Gladys' fight was one of the first scenes I wrote. But we haven't seen the last of Gladys yet. I've been planning some things for her in the distant future...
> 
> As for the spoiler, unless I see the body I'm not convinced that Charles is dead. They can't do this to Falice! I originally planned for this chapter to be Chic's first encounter with Betty, Jughead and Jellybean - but after the 2x19 reveal, him helping Jellybean would seem out of character. So I decided to keep Charles alive -my fic, my rules- and Chic's arc will be according to canon with some minor changes.
> 
> Next few chapters: back to Penny's arc! Brace yourselves. I really hope I find more free time to dedicate to the writing of this fic and update sooner next time! :)
> 
> Finally, I want to thank each and everyone of you for reading this fic and leaving kudos and beautiful comments! ♡ You really motivate me to do better! :) ♡
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter!
> 
> xxx
> 
> A. L.


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